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Estonian Parliament Passes Law to Cut Religious Ties With Moscow Patriarchate
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![Photo of Amira Barkhush]( "Photo of Amira Barkhush")
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The Estonian Parliament has passed a law in its third reading barring any church, monastery, or parish in Estonia from maintaining ties with foreign religious institutions if those are considered a threat to national security, ERR reported on April 9.
As clarified by the media outlet, the amendments were introduced in response to the Moscow Patriarchate’s open support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The new law will prohibit the activities of religious organizations that are subordinate to entities or individuals deemed a threat to national security. In effect, it targets the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, pressuring it to sever ties with Moscow and Patriarch Kirill.
Previous efforts by the Ministry of the Interior to reach a mutual agreement with the Church failed. Once the law comes into force, the Church will have two months to revise its statutes and operations to comply with the new regulations.
On April 9, the Church and Congregation Act was approved by 60 members of the Riigikogu, with 13 voting against it. According to ERR, authorities insist that the changes will not lead to the automatic closure of churches or a ban on the Russian Orthodox tradition in Estonia.
The Kremlin has actively used the Russian Orthodox Church, known as the Moscow Patriarchate, as a tool of religious propaganda to justify its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In November 2024, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church suggested the potential implementation of the death penalty in Russia, stating that neither the Church nor Jesus Christ explicitly condemned it.
Patriarch Kirill is the current Patriarch of Moscow, serving as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since 2009, known for his strong alignment with the Russian state and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Patriarch Kirill has expressed strong support for Russia’s military actions, including the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
