Tallinn, September 23, 2024
Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Photo: news.err.ee
The Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC) has proposed the creation of a vicariate to subsume the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) under its control.
An EAOC representative told the Estonian outlet news.err.ee that it wants to help the EOC completely break away from the Moscow Patriarchate, which the state has classified as a 
Estonian Parliament declares Russian Church accomplice in state aggression, Estonian hierarch respondsThe Riigikogu adopted a statement on Monday, May 6, which formally identifies the Moscow Patriarchate as a supporter of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“>supporter of state aggression—a label that the EOC has continually demonstrated 
Estonian Church files complaint against Parliament: “We don’t support military aggression”The Church and monastery’s complaints specifically call for them to be removed from the list of supporters of military aggression.”>does not apply to itself.
Estonian Church amends statutes to reflect administrative independenceThe Council of the Estonian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) adopted new statutes yesterday, granting itself administrative independence.
“>Last month, the Council of the EOC voted to amend its statutes, removing all references to the statutes of the Moscow Patriarchate, though this move didn’t satisfy the state. Tarmo Miilits, Chancellor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, wrote in a letter to His Grace Bishop Daniil of Tartu, Vicar of the Tallinn Diocese:
The initial general assessment is that the presented text does not fully comply with the clear expectation expressed by the state in previous meetings that the current Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate will sever all ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). In your letter, you state that you have worked to reduce the administrative influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the text of the statute. The state’s expectation, based on Parliament’s statement declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an institution that supports Russia’s military aggression, is that this influence will be completely abolished.
Against this background, the EAOC is proposing to create an autonomous vicariate within its own jurisdiction for the parishes of the EOC. “This would mean that what was the EOC-MP would remain as a distinct ecclesiastical unit, able to continue its religious practices, use its own language and calendar, and be fully financially independent,” the EAOC spokesperson said.
However, the proposal doesn’t address the fact that joining the EAOC would mean entering into communion with the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” created by Constantinople in 2018.
This is not the first time that Constantinople has put forth a plan to subsume all parishes in Estonia under its authority. 
Metropolitan Stephanos suggests uniting Church in Estonia under his authorityPresently there are two active Orthodox jurisdictions in Estonia: the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (the latter was established early in the 1990s). Both Churches themselves claim to be autonomous though they do not recognize the autonomous status of each other.
“>In 2016, Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn said that he has a plan for bringing all churches under his authority.
However, the 
Estonian Orthodox bishop: We’re not going to join Constantinople’s ChurchThe history of Orthodoxy in Estonia dates back to Russian missionaries of the 10th-12th centuries. Constantinople’s parallel jurisdiction was established in 1996.
“>EOC has said that it’s willing to hold discussions with the EAOC, but neither the hierarchy nor the faithful are willing to simply join the EAOC.
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