The Riigikogu's Legal Affairs Committee has submitted a bill on amendments to the Law on Churches and Parishes. Stakeholders will be invited to the Committee's open meeting which will be held next week.
This was reported by ERR.
The bill, among other things, aims to resolve the issue of subordination of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
It stipulates that churches, monasteries or other religious associations operating in Estonia cannot be affiliated with a foreign governing body that poses a threat to the security or constitutional order of the state.
As the Chairman of the Committee, Andre Hanimägi, told ERR, in addition to legal issues, historical aspects were also discussed. It was reiterated that the purpose of the bill is not to ban any religion or terminate any church, but to clarify who can lead churches and religious associations, as well as what requirements are imposed on them.
Hanimägi noted that the bill and the explanatory note do not mention the Moscow Patriarchate.
“There are, however, very serious problems with the Moscow Patriarchate. /.../ Yet, the purpose of the bill is to clarify the requirements for who can statutorily manage religious associations, monasteries or churches in Estonia. Ultimately, the role of the legislator is also to ensure the security of the Republic of Estonia, which is a constitutional duty,” he said.
Mr. Hanimägi emphasized that representatives of the EOC MP were also invited to the open meeting of the commission.
“I see no reason why they should not speak up and express their opinion, in addition to the comments and suggestions they have already submitted in writing. We will also hear from the drafters of the law whether these concerns are justified or not,” Hanimägi said.