Estonia gives Moscow-linked Church six months to sever ties

Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior has given the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate, six months to comply with new legislation prohibiting religious organizations from maintaining ties with foreign religious leaders or bodies deemed a threat to the country’s national security, according to reports in the Estonian media .

Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act entered into force on June 27 and require religious organizations to meet the new legal requirements by December 28. Failure to comply could result in proceedings aimed at their compulsory dissolution.

The primary focus of the legislation is the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church, formerly known as the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Church must appoint a new Metropolitan, as its current primate, Metropolitan Eugene (Valeri Reshetnikov), was forced to leave Estonia in early 2024 after security authorities determined that his activities posed a threat to national security.

The Church is also required to remove from its statutes all references to its dependence on the Moscow Patriarchate and…