The Ministry of Internal Affairs demands that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (EOC MP) sever all ties with the Russian church authorities.
This was reported by ERR.
At the end of January, a bill will be submitted to the parliament, ordering the Church to change its charter within two months. Otherwise, it will have to be liquidated by court order.
In two weeks, the government will discuss and apparently submit to parliament a draft amendment to the law on churches and parishes. It is proposed to ban the activities of churches affiliated with organizations that support military aggression and violence in Estonia.
“This initiative is necessary because the Orthodox Church, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, is the most important instrument of influence for Russia and the Kremlin in Estonia. This must be put to an end. We have seen Moscow using religious organizations to achieve its goals in Moldova, Ukraine and other countries, and I have no doubt that this has been done and will continue to be done in Estonia,” Minister of the Interior and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party Lauri Lauri Läänemets told the ‘Actual Camera’.
According to the minister, the Estonian Orthodox Church must change its charter, completely withdrawing from subordination to Moscow.
Two months will be allotted to revise the Church's charter. If the requirements of the law are not met, the minister will apply to the court for the forced liquidation of the offending organizations.
The first reading of the bill in the parliament's great hall is scheduled for mid-February, and the final vote is scheduled for April.