Tag: Christianity

On Friday, the Nigerian government assured the United States of its commitment to uphold freedom of religion and expression.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave this assurance in a statement signed by its acting spokesman, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, saying any reports of threats or intimidation against religious leaders would be investigated and appropriate actions would be taken.

The reaction came amid reports Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi and Father Remigius Ihyula were being threatened after they testified both in the U.S. Congress and the UK Parliament detailing the persecution of Christians in Makudi Diocese and Nigeria at large.

On March 12, both men appeared before the United States house foreign affairs committee (HFAC) to testify about militants killing or forcibly displacing Christian farmers in Benue.

The clergymen also claimed that there is an ongoing campaign of Islamisation in the country.

“They steal and vandalise, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from the elected authorities,” Anagbe told the committee.

“None of them have been arrested and brought to justice. This is supported by the corrupt system in which we operate and the abject poverty among us, which allow the criminals to easily attract more recruits and prey on more victims,” he said.

The religious leaders said they had become targets, with Anagbe pointedly accusing Nigeria’s foreign ministry as telling him to “watch his words.”

The alleged threats have sparked reactions in Nigeria and across the globe, with the U.S. Mission in Nigeria saying it was deeply troubled by the reports of intimidation against the clergymen.

“Freedom of expression is an essential human right and central to the function of democracy in Nigeria and the United States. No one should be subject to threats for exercising that right,” the mission said in a statement April 12.

“We call on all actors to respect Bishop Anagbe’s and Father Remigius right to speak freely without fear of retribution or retaliation.”

Robert Řehák, Chair of IRFBA – the Article 18 Alliance-the International Religious Freedom of Belief Alliance said he was “appalled” by the reports.

“I am appalled to discover from our members that threats are being made against Bishop Wilfred Anagbe by various entities, because he freely expresses his views about the situation in Makurdi and Benue to the US Congress and the UK Houses of Parliament,” he said.

“I am informed that threats seem to come from both government bodies and some religious organizations,” he added.

In a statement April 10, U.S. Representative Chris Smith, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, condemned the threats made to Anagbe and Remigius.

“I am appalled by reports that Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Father Remigius Ihyula are facing threats — allegedly from Nigerian government sources and affiliated organizations — because of the bishop’s testimony before Congress detailing violence in Nigeria’s Benue State,” said Smith.

“I also fear there are some who would seek to do him physical harm.”

For nearly a decade, Anagbe has been a leading voice against the assault on largely Christian communities in Benue state by Fulani herdsmen.

Father Chidubem John Kinsley, Founder and spiritual director of Fabulous Hearts Family Foundation noted that on March 28, Father Remigius Ihyula received a message from an embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.

“The message transmitted to Father Ihyula warned that there ‘might be’ an arrest warrant for Anagbe,” he said.

Ihyula told Crux that no government official had reached out to him or the bishop, admitting that threats had been made.

The government said the testimonies of the bishop and the priest misrepresented the facts and oversimplified ‘a deeply complex” national challenge.

“The assertion that the Nigerian government has ‘allowed the violence to escalate unchecked’ is both inaccurate and unfair,” Ebienfa said.

“The government has consistently taken decisive actions, including deploying security forces to areas affected by communal violence, engaging in peace-building efforts between farmers and herders, strengthening intelligence operations to track down criminal elements and implementing policies to address root causes, including land use reforms and economic development initiatives,” the government minister continued.

“It is important to state that, while challenges remain, it is incorrect to suggest that the Nigerian government has been inactive or indifferent. The reality is that Nigeria is fighting multiple security threats, including banditry, terrorism, and organized crime, all of which affect different communities irrespective of religion,” he said.

But the Board chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi told Crux that the Nigerian government has been abetting attacks on Christians.

The completion of a vibrant, multi-sided mural that tells the history of St. Mark Church in Venice is the latest project aimed at augmenting an arts-and-media evangelization movement at the parish.

Father Albert van der Woerd, St. Mark’s pastor, explained in a bulletin posting that the parish hall mural created by artist Presa Hall, passed by more than 100,000 people each day on the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Garfield Avenue, purposefully portrays a sixth-century Greek mosaic of St. Mark on the most visible east side of the building.

“A lot of history is involved in the choice of the name Saint Mark for our parish,” wrote van der Woerd, referring to the church established in 1923 to help fleeing immigrants escaping persecution in Mexico. “Think of Abbott Kinney, who wanted to create a little Venice for his wife in the swamp on the Westside. With the Saint Mark Basilica in Venice, Italy, holding the relics of this evangelist, what other name could have been chosen than Saint Mark?”

On the hall’s south side are mural depictions of Blessed Miguel Pro, Blessed Sister Marie Rose Durocher (founder of the Sisters of the Holy Names, which started the school), and St. Candidus of Thebes. All three are also represented by relics on St. Mark’s altar.

St. Mark’s concerted effort to focus on the pastoral impact of arts and media is reflected in the demographics of its congregation, van der Woerd said. The church’s recent surveys show some 60% of the adults work in the media.

Inside the parish hall, upgrades that included 4K monitor screens for upgraded media use are part of the initiative.

“It’s the calling card to the community, attractive to Catholics and non-Catholics,” said Deacon Charlie Echeverry, who came to St. Mark’s two years ago as a reassignment, having a secular background in media and entertainment at Disney and Univision.

“The parish hall is a visualization of things the Lord has put together for us,” Echeverry said. “We have a hall on the biggest thoroughfare on the Westside and it is an asset. Instead of just painting the building, we want to create a landmark for the community that is rich in mural storytelling.”

Police and paramilitaries maintained a heavy presence outside the Nicaraguan Managua cathedral on Palm Sunday, ensuring celebrations occurred entirely on church property — and sending a not-so-subtle message of intimidation.

Inside the cathedral, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua ignored the harassment. He focused his homily on forgiveness instead.

“Forgiveness is part of the Lord’s passion, it is part of the fruit of an experience of suffering, of pain, but one that has been done with love, and Christ Jesus has done it because it has been the mission entrusted to him,” Cardinal Brenes said. “Let that be a strong point when we have any doubt. Let us remember that God loves us and loves us intensely. As Pope Francis tells us, God forgives everything and forgives us all.”

Catholics across Nicaragua are celebrating Holy Week under surveillance as the Sandinista regime prohibits public processions for the third consecutive year.

The restrictions deepen the repression from the regime of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who have blasted Catholic leaders as “terrorists,” sent clergy into exile and increasingly attempted to control church activities.

“The Nicaraguan dictatorship has banned street processions. What they will not be able to prevent is the crucified one from revealing his victory in every struggle for truth and justice, in every effort to defend human dignity, and in every act of solidarity for the victims,” Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua said via a social media post. Bishop Báez left Nicaragua in 2019 for security reasons but has ministered to exiled Nicaraguans in the Miami area and continued denouncing the Sandinista regime’s repression.

Regime repression increasingly involves the intimidation of priests, who are spied upon by police, paramilitaries and even parishioners, according to church observers. Priests must check in regularly with the police and provide details on their weekly activities, according to a report by Church Solidarity Worldwide. They also cannot leave their local municipalities without permission — something hindering the celebration of Mass in dioceses decimated by clergy being exiled. They also must watch their words during Mass.

“Religious leaders of all types reported regularly receiving verbal orders from security officers not to mention specific subjects including political prisoners, Israel, and the general situation in Nicaragua in any of their public discourse and not to use the combination of the colours blue and white (the colours of the Nicaraguan flag) in any decorations or other materials,” the report said.

“Preaching about unity or justice or praying for imprisoned religious leaders or even the general situation in the country, for example, can be considered as criticism of the government and treated as a crime.”

Spies routinely sit in on Mass and infiltrate parish communities. Police often pay intimidating visits to priests.

“The regime has managed to infiltrate parishes and pastoral staff, as lectors, catechists and other members of pastoral staff” through an espionage network known as citizen power councils, said Denis Alaniz, a journalist with Panorama Católica, which covers the Nicaraguan Catholic Church from exile.

“Some priests have had the courage to mention something about justice. (But) in order to preach, they’re being required to send their homilies, but not in all cases.”

Alaniz told OSV News that some priests in the Diocese of Matagalpa — where the local Bishop Rolando Álvarez and many priests were forced into exile — forgo homilies and “are not preaching during Mass to avoid being kidnapped.”

He added that priests’ work “basically consists of surviving and remaining as quiet as possible so he can continue his pastoral work. At least the administration of the sacraments.”

The Catholic Church had become the last bastion of dissent in Nicaragua as the Sandinista regime closed independent media outlets, extinguished the legal status of non-governmental and religious organizations — including religious congregations and church charitable projects — and cowed the business community into silence.

The regime has portrayed the Catholic Church as an enemy since 2018, when protesters demanded Ortega’s ouster. The church provided shelters for protesters coming under police and paramilitary attack and worked with the families of political prisoners.

“They always increase repression around the holidays, or anywhere where people gather for practical purposes,” Caroline Cowen, an international affairs consultant, told OSV News.

Good Friday in 2025 falls on April 18, the anniversary of the day protests erupted — something “they’re still mad about,” she said.

At least 226 churchmen and churchwomen — including four bishops — have been forced to abandon Nicaragua or have been prohibited from returning after traveling abroad, according to Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer in exile who documents repression against the Catholic Church in her home country. Some 14 religious orders have also left Nicaragua since 2018, according to Molina, and at least 74 Catholic-sponsored organizations have been shuttered, including universities, Caritas chapters and charitable projects, according to her latest report in December 2024.

“It’s a sign of fear of the church’s spiritual power,” Arturo McFields, a former Nicaraguan diplomat, said of the continued crackdown in comments to OSV News. “Despite the controls, the imprisonments, the expulsions of priests, the burning of temples, the desecration of sacred symbols, despite the censorship of the religious processions of Holy Week … people’s faith remains intact, and that scares them,” he said.

Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of one woman and five men, including Antoni Gaudí, the Spanish architect who designed the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, Spain.

The Vatican announced that the pope authorized the decrees during an audience at the Vatican April 14 with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Among the decrees was the approval of a miracle attributed to Indian Sister Eliswa Vakayil, founder of the Teresian Carmelites, who lived 1831-1913; the approved miracle clears the way for her beatification.

The pope also recognized the heroic virtues of Antoni Gaudí, a Spanish architect and designer who was born in Catalonia in 1852.

Gaudí, who created many one-of-a-kind projects, eventually renounced secular art and dedicated more than 40 years of his life to building Barcelona’s Basilica of the Holy Family, often referred to by its Spanish name as the Sagrada Familia.

He started the project in 1882 when he was 31 years old; the church is expected to be finished in 2026 — the 100th anniversary of his death in 1926. When questioned about the lengthy construction period, Gaudí used to answer, “My client is not in a hurry.”

Because of his dedication to his faith and serving God through architecture, he earned the moniker, “God’s architect.”

Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church in 2010 and granted it the status of a minor basilica. It is the most visited site in Spain, attracting millions of visitors a year, and it is one of seven of Gaudí’s works that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Among the other decrees approved April 14, Pope Francis also recognized the martyrdom of Father Nazareno Lanciotti, an Italian priest born in Rome in 1940 who was killed “in hatred of the faith” in São Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 22, 2001. He started serving as a missionary in a poor, remote area of Brazil in 1972, where he helped build a hospital, small churches and chapels, a nursing home and a school for hundreds of children. He also joined the Marian Movement of Priests, a fraternity of brothers and sisters who consecrate their lives to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The area lay along a major narco-trafficking route between Brazil and Bolivia, and the priest worked diligently with young people to help them avoid falling into drugs and prostitution and to focus on Eucharistic adoration and a devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Two masked gunmen entered his residence while he was eating with others Feb. 11. While it appeared to be a robbery, the one gunman said, “I’ve come to kill you because you are bothering us too much,” before shooting him. He died 11 days later after forgiving his attackers.

Pope Francis also approved decrees recognizing:

— The heroic virtues of Father Agostino Cozzolino, an Italian priest who was born in 1928 and spent his life ministering in Naples. He was dedicated to charity, catechesis and pastoral care in poor and difficult neighborhoods. He was a member of the Institute of the Heart of Jesus, a secular institute for diocesan priests who profess the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience while supporting each other in their priestly ministry. He promoted fraternity among priests and greater spirituality in families. He died in 1988.

— The heroic virtues of Father Angelo Bughetti, the founder of the Institute of St. Catherine. Born in Italy in 1877, he launched and ran several charitable projects and activities aimed at helping the poor and orphans. He died in 1935.

— The heroic virtues of Father Peter Joseph Triest, founder of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity, the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, and the Congregation of the Sisters of the Childhood of Jesus. Born in Belgium in 1760, he was known as the Belgian St. Vincent de Paul because of his charity and compassion for the poor. He founded congregations dedicated to caring for the sick, the poor, the dying, the elderly, abandoned infants and people with physical and mental disabilities before he died in 1836.

Sydney, April 11, 2025

Photo: greek.vema.com.au     

Another mass Baptism was recently celebrated in Australia.

Australia: Orthodoxy fastest growing church amidst general Christian declineThe Orthodox Church is the fastest growing Christian “denomination” in Australia according to recently published 2016-2021 census data.

“>According to 2016-2021 census data, Orthodoxy is the fasting growing denomination, with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia coming in as the fastest growing among the Orthodox jurisdictions.

Australia: Growing Orthodox presence in Perth as more than a dozen received into ChurchThe Church has seen growing interest in Orthodox Christianity, particularly among young people drawn to its Apostolic roots and traditions.

“>In January, a dozen people were baptized at a Greek church in Perth, and now, another 10 have received Baptismal regeneration, at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sydney, reports the Greek Archdiocese’s Vema of the Church outlet.

Photo: greek.vema.com.au     

The service was celebrated by Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and several priests. The church was filled with parishioners, family members, and friends of the newly illumined.

The names of the newly baptized, who had undergone catechism at the church, are: Anastasios, Job, John, Julia, Artemis, Stavroula, Panagiotis, John, Sophia, and Angeliki.

After the holy Sacrament, the Ladies Philoptochos Society hosted an outdoor dinner.

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For the second year in a row, few foreign pilgrims were in attendance at the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives into the Old City of Jerusalem due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. But even the gray skies that threatened rain didn’t dampen the spirit of the 4,000 participants.

Most of them were Christians from Jerusalem and the Galilee, as well as a few Christians from the West Bank, foreign diplomats and NGO employees, members of religious orders and foreign workers. Ethiopian Orthodox pilgrims, with their traditionally embroidered-trimmed white gowns, also took part in the procession, as in 2025 the festivals of all the Orthodox and Catholic churches converge.

Some 6,000 initial travel permits were issued for West Bank Christians to attend Holy Week celebrations, with an additional 2,000 expected later in the week but not yet confirmed, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Sheltering from the rain under a doorway, Batrice Batrice, a Catholic from Nazareth, said he had brought his three teenage children, his wife and his aunt to take part in the procession this year, knowing that it would not be as joyous as other years, because he thought it was important to maintain hope and a positive attitude.

“It was happier when there were many pilgrims here. Ten years ago these roads were full of people,” he said. “We always have to keep hope alive and believe that the situation will be better. There is always someone up there watching out for us.”

Amid bursts of rain, the pilgrims were led by the Christian scouts troop, who again this year did not play their marching band instruments but sang hymns and clapped their hands. The pilgrims waving palm fronds wound their way down from Bethphage — a Franciscan church located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem — down to the Monastery of the Ascension and downhill to Gethsemane garden, concluding at the Church of St. Anne by the Lion’s Gate in the Old City.

Members of various Neocatechumenal Way communities played guitar and sang as they marched in the procession adding a bit of festivity to the event, a group of Franciscan friars played music and sang, and members of the Filipino Catholic community sang songs.

“We are still rejoicing,” said Violeta Pasco, a Filipino caretaker who works in Tel Aviv and came to Jerusalem with her husband and 15-year-old daughter. “Even when it is difficult we need to rejoice. No one will stop us from rejoicing. It is our faith.”

The day began with the palm procession and Pontifical Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa blessed the palm fronds, and a procession walked around the edicule during the Pontifical Mass. The Holy Edicule is raised over the place of Christ’s tomb. Greek Orthodox and Copt faithful also filled the church as they celebrated Palm Sunday.

In his Palm Sunday procession message, Cardinal Pizzaballa urged the faithful to remember “what matters most” despite the continuing difficulties: “We are here today, local Christians and pilgrims, all together, to say strongly that we are not afraid. We are the children of light and resurrection, of life. We hope and believe in the love that overcomes everything.”

“We have encountered Him. And we are here to cry it out, strongly, confidently, and with all the love we can, which no one can ever extinguish. No one will separate us from our love for Jesus. And we want to witness it first of all with unity among ourselves, loving and supporting one another, forgiving one another,” he said. “As I keep repeating, we belong to this city and no one can separate us from our love for the Holy City, just as no one can separate us from the love of Christ.”

“I think it is just important to always keep hope no matter what the situation is. On these special holy times, we need to focus ever more so on hope,” said Janice Stepp from Florida, who admitted that she and her family felt a bit of trepidation before she came. Once in the Holy Land, however, she had calmed down and had been amazed by the unique opportunities for prayer and contemplation.

“What we see in the news is very much exaggerated. I feel it is safe to visit here, and we have been everywhere. We got as much time as we wanted in the Church of the Nativity by the star where Jesus was born. It was an amazing opportunity,” she told OSV News.

Stepp said her group also made purchases from Christian shop owners in Bethlehem to help support the local Christian community.

“According to the Bible, Jesus came to Jerusalem during this period to free the people and get closer to God,” said Ramze Shaheen, a resident of the Old City. “Today, 2000 years later, we are not asking for peace. Just quiet. There won’t be peace now after all that has happened, but we hope and pray for quiet so we can live together and educate our children.”

Meanwhile, the Diocese of Jerusalem of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East issued a statement condemning the early April 14 morning bombing of their Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, run by the Anglican Church in Jerusalem, which was the last fully functioning hospital in Gaza City.

They said the twin strikes had demolished the two-story genetic laboratory and damaged the pharmacy and emergency department building as well as the church building of St. Philip.

They said the IDF had issued a warning to evacuate the building only 20 minutes before the airstrike. It is the fifth time the hospital has been bombed since the start of the war.m The IDF, which maintains that Hamas uses hospitals and schools as a shield for their operatives and weapons, said they had struck Hamas targets in the attack.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the BBC that Gaza has become “hell on earth” as Israel’s military assault there continues.

Mirjana Spoljaric’s comments come on the same day the U.N. human rights office warned that Israel’s tactics were threatening the viability of Palestinians continuing to live in Gaza at all, the BBC said.

The U.N. also said 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers in the Gaza Strip were killed by Israeli forces “one by one” March 23 and buried in a mass grave in southern Gaza. The IDF has confirmed that troops from Golani, one of the army’s five infantry brigades, opened fire on two convoys of ambulances in Rafah. The bodies have since been retrieved by a U.N. team.

More than 1,500 people have been killed in Israeli bombardment since it renewed the war on March 18, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said.

In an interview with the Italian Tg2000 news program, Cardinal Pizzaballa called the situation in Gaza “dramatic, catastrophic, shameful,” one where the dignity of the 2.3 million people living there is not being taken into consideration.

“We cannot think that they are all complicit with terrorism or crime,” he said. “We must be open to all perspectives, keeping our attention high, but also that of all the churches around the world, of everyone willing to listen to us, on the seriousness of what is happening.”

He said he had spoken briefly to Father Gabriel Romanelli, the priest at Holy Family Parish in Gaza, who said the Catholic families sheltering in the church are determined to remain until the end of the war.

“Then, only God knows what may happen, so we must also be very realistic,” the patriarch said in the interview.

Moscow, April 11, 2025

Photo: narvanews.com     

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement yesterday condemning the recently adopted bill that effectively bans the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The legislation, passed in its third reading by Estonia’s Parliament on April 9, requires the Church and Pükhtitsa Monastery to sever their canonical ties with the Russian Church, affecting an estimated 250,000 Estonian citizens.

In its statement, the Synod rejects claims that the Church poses a security threat to Estonia, noting that it doesn’t participate in political activities. The Synod expresses particular concern for Pükhtitsa, which it describes as “a shrine of world Orthodoxy,” and calls on the international community to condemn Estonia’s religious discrimination and violation of religious freedom principles.

The Synodal statement reads:

On April 9, 2025, the Estonian Parliament adopted in its third reading Bill No. 2-5/25-00033 “On Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Estonia ‘On Churches and Parishes,’” which effectively aims to ban the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church—a self-governing Church within the Moscow Patriarchate.

The new law forces believers to break their canonical connection with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. This decision contradicts the repeatedly expressed will of the clergy, monastics, and laity of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church who remain faithful to their Church hierarchy. It discriminates against 250,000 believing citizens of Estonia, depriving them of freedom of religion.

As justification for the necessity of adopting this law, a false claim was made that the canonical connection of Orthodox believers in Estonia with the Moscow Patriarchate creates a threat to the security of the Estonian state and to the constitutional and social order in the country. This completely ignores the fact that the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church does not participate in political life or interstate relations. To date, not a single instance has been recorded of its structures or believers creating any threats to state or public security.

However, this did not stop Estonian political forces that have taken a course toward fighting Russian Orthodoxy, which has for centuries been part of the cultural heritage of the Estonian people. One of the main targets of persecution has been the Pükhtitsa Monastery—a shrine of world Orthodoxy and a place of pilgrimage for believers from different countries.

The actions of the Estonian authorities today reproduce methods that were used in the fight against the Church during the times of atheistic struggle against God.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church declares its full support for His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Tallinn and All Estonia, the archpastors, clergy, and faithful children of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church under the conditions of increasing oppression against it, calling on them to maintain fidelity to the sacred canons. Orthodoxy was brought to Estonia by Russian missionaries 1,000 years ago. Its history is rich with vivid examples of courageous standing in faith, from the Hieromartyr Isidore and 72 Others at Yuriev, EstoniaThe priest Isidore bravely stood forth in defense of Orthodoxy, preferring to accept a martyr’s crown rather than submit to the Catholics.

“>Holy Martyr Isidore of Yuriev and those who suffered with him—to the martyric feat of St. Platon, Bishop of Revel, and other new martyrs of the Estonian land. We believe that through their prayerful intercession, the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church will worthily endure the trials that have befallen it.

We call on the international community to condemn the facts of violence against the conscience of the Orthodox and the illegal interference of the Estonian authorities in the internal affairs of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church, which clearly ignores the internationally accepted principles of religious freedom.

For more background on this issue, Parliament adopts law on banning Estonian Orthodox Christian ChurchThe Riigikogu, Estonian Parliament, has adopted the law aimed at banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

“>see yesterday’s news on the parliamentary decision.

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Tallinn, April 11, 2025

Pükhtitsa Monastery. Photo: puhtitsa.ee     

Representatives of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church and the Holy Dormition-Pükhtitsa Monastery submitted an official appeal to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) yesterday, calling for a response to the religious persecution being carried out by the state.

Estonian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations Parliament adopts law on banning Estonian Orthodox Christian ChurchThe Riigikogu, Estonian Parliament, has adopted the law aimed at banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

“>on Wednesday that ban the Estonian Church for its canonical connection to the Moscow Patriarchate. From a legal point of view, the Church’s administration is entirely centered in Tallinn, and the state has failed to demonstrate that the Church poses any kind of threat to national security. Nevertheless, given that the Parliament has waded into canonical matters, after two months the authorities can begin opening cases against the Church if it doesn’t fully separate from the Moscow Patriarchate.

Politicians have argued that they aren’t requiring the Church to change its faith, only to change its jurisdiction, by joining the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s overlapping structure, the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church. However, to join Constantinople would be to enter into communion with the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” which is indeed a question of the faith, and would Estonian Orthodox Church condemns Constantinople’s interference in UkraineThe Holy Synod of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has published a statement on its official website expressing “its deep concern over the dangerous development of the Church situation in Ukraine caused by the unilateral actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.”

“>violate the Estonian Synod’s own decisions.

The Church’s attorneys explained the reason for the appeal:

On behalf of the Church and monastery that have become targets of the amendments to the law on churches and parishes, we’ve been writing in recent weeks to both the Prime Minister and the new Minister of Internal Affairs. We wanted to meet and find a reasonable compromise within the state before the amendments were adopted and before broader involvement of international institutions. We were not given the opportunity for such a meeting, and yesterday the law was passed. At the same time, we continue to hear from the Minister of Internal Affairs unfounded references to the Pükhtitsa nuns as victims of Moscow’s influence operations. This clearly demonstrates the goal of stigmatization, and it’s impossible not to respond to this.

The statement explains that Estonia’s new law violates religious freedom by targeting the Church and monastery solely due to their canonical ties with the Russian Church, despite their compliance with Estonian law and opposition to the war in Ukraine.

The complainants identify several concerning issues, including discriminatory legislation, threats to deport foreign clergy, and state efforts to portray the punitive law as protective.

The Church’s attorneys note that the hastily adopted law undermines transparent governance and fundamental rights, prompting them to seek international support through both the European Court of Human Rights and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

They also draw parallels to similar religious restrictions in Ukraine that have raised international concerns and affirm their commitment to defend their religious communities through all legal means.

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Moscow, April 14, 2025

Photo: rbk.ru     

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent an appeal to multiple religious and political leaders last week concerning the Estonian Parliament’s adoption of a law banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

Legislators adopted amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations Parliament adopts law on banning Estonian Orthodox Christian ChurchThe Riigikogu, Estonian Parliament, has adopted the law aimed at banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

“>on Wednesday that ban the Estonian Church for its canonical connection to the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Patriarchate’s Holy Synod Russian Synod condemns new law banning Estonian Orthodox Christian ChurchThe legislation, passed in its third reading by Estonia’s Parliament on April 9, requires the Church and Pükhtitsa Monastery to sever their canonical ties with the Russian Church, affecting an estimated 250,000 Estonian citizens.

“>issued a statement on Thursday, condemning the religious persecution. It also called on the Russian primate to send appeals to the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches and other religious and political leaders.

In his appeals, reports the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, Pat. Kirill stated:

With deep concern, I inform you that on April 9, 2025, the Estonian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations, which effectively aim to ban the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church—a self-governing Church within the Moscow Patriarchate.

This law, stripping it of legitimacy, violates the fundamental principle of freedom of conscience and religion, guaranteed by the constitution of Estonia and relevant international agreements.

The Patriarch appealed to all Orthodox primates, save those of the Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Cyprus, and Greece, who are in communion with the graceless Ukrainian schismatics, which caused ruptures in communion within the Orthodox Church. “I count on your brotherly support during this difficult time for Estonian Orthodoxy,” Pat. Kirill said to the faithful primates.

Meanwhile, Constantinople’s Churches in both Estonia and Finland have officially come out in favor of the persecution of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

Pat. Kirill also addressed the heads of various Oriental, Catholic, and Protestant churches, as well as the head of the World Council of Churches, calling on those “who can open their mouths for justice (Prov. 31:9), to stand in support of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church in this difficult time.”

He also wrote to the presidents of Serbia, Hungary, and the U.S., recognizing their efforts in defending Christian values and the rights of Christians.

Further, he addressed the heads of various UN and other human rights leaders.

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Hierodeacon Daniel (Sikoev) shares a real life story that illustrates the The Parable of the Prodigal SonThe parable of the Prodigal Son is inexhaustible. It contains such a multitude of themes, that it is difficult to enumerate them. Each man, who delves into it with reverence, finds the answer for himself to questions about his own spiritual condition.

“>Parable of the Prodigal Son in the modern context and demonstrates work of Divine Providence for every person.

Hierodeacon Daniel (Sikoyev)   

Last summer, our parishioner Seryozha¹ and I attended the opening ceremony of the New Chersonesus: Museum of Crimea and NovorossiyaThe museum-church complex “New Chersonese” represents an entirely new level of organization for historical, museum, educational, leisure, and cultural spaces not only in Russia but also worldwide.

“>New Chersoneses Museum and Church Complex in the Crimea. Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov)Tikhon (Shevkunov), Metropolitan”>Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Simferopol and the Crimea consecrated St. Vladimir’s Cathedral there, which was followed by very interesting celebrations. It gave Seryozha and me great joy. And he finally saw the sea, which he had not seen for a very long time. We stayed there for a few days, but we had to return to Moscow. There were no tickets, and we could not travel back any other way. Providentially, we ended up in the village of Foros on the southern coast of the Crimea just when a meeting of the clergy of the Yalta Deanery was taking place there, headed by Vladyka Tikhon. And I realized that we needed to ask his help with this problem. We were standing and waiting. Vladyka came in and saw our Seryozha in a wheelchair:

“Oh, Seryozha! Here he is!”

We explained the problem to him, and with God’s help, we were assisted with the train tickets.

At last, we boarded the train and set off. A man joined us at Rossosh in the Voronezh region. When he entered our compartment and cast a glance at me, Seryozha, and the monastery laborer Pasha,² he said immediately:

“Hello. I am a non-believer.”

The man showed his position right away. But why should we care? A man came in, and we greeted him properly. He was a military man who served in the SMO. It was time for dinner, so we had a meal together and treated him to something. He climbed to the upper berth, and we did not talk much that evening. When the train stopped at the stations, he would go out for a smoke and stare at us intently.

When we woke up the next day, I went to the dining car where we could get porridge for Seryozha. I took some porridge for all of us and returned. I have noticed that people are sometimes not used to a simple, sensitive human attitude. They become suspicious—if you do good to them, a “sensor” is actuated in them. “Something’s not right here—I will be asked for something in return.” People feel danger. Maybe it is because they are not treated like this in their lives. We took care of our traveling companion as best we could. And he softened and began to tell us about himself.

He was wounded several times in a knocked-out tank. He talked about his life and remembered his family. We explained to him what his name means in Hebrew and I told him what my monastic name means. On this wave, he became interested and began to listen. We told him that someone must be praying hard for him, and he said:

“Listen, my wife goes to churches, although she is not yet baptized.”

Seryozha     

She went to churches and prayed for him when he was at the SMO. I looked at this man’s face during our conversation. And he started to change before our very eyes: I saw his cheekbones begin to weaken from the strain, and a simple smile appeared on his face. Something that he had never experienced before was happening to him, or something that had been sleeping for a very long time was awakening in him. A lively twinkle appeared in his eyes. He shared his impressions:

“I went out for a smoke and saw a black, bearded ‘mountain’ moving towards me. I thought: ‘Who are these people?…’”

He disembarked before Moscow—it was a long stop. We also went out to buy ice cream for Seryozha. Can you imagine? This man didn’t want to leave! He looked like someone who was experiencing a separation. I noticed that tears were welling up in his eyes. And watching this situation from the side, I realized that, apparently the Lord had touched his heart. And, of course, that made us glad. I told him:

“Know that we are all at the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. If you need something, come over.”

We didn’t even exchange phone numbers, just embraced:

“May God keep you!”

Several weeks passed. It was an ordinary monastic day—we were assigned our obediences. I remember being at Igumen Cyprian (Parts)Cyprian (Parts), Igumen

“>Igumen Cyprian’s in the Holy BreadOf course I prayed, and asked Great Martyr Barbara, because it was the eve of her commemoration. And the prosphora turned out fine! Sunday, at the Liturgy, Father Superior sees the prosphora and they are normal service prosphora… “Fr. Cyprian, whose prosphora are these?” “Ours, Batiushka.” “What happened to you?” “Batiushka, it’s God’s mercy.””>prosphora bakery. Suddenly the telephone rang when my hands were covered with flour. One call, then another… Someone was trying to reach me on the phone. It turned out that our guard was calling from the monastery territory. Fr. Cyprian blessed me to answer the phone. I answered and heard the following:

    

“Father Daniel, good afternoon! There are people here who want to see you. A man in military uniform with his wife.”

I immediately guessed who he was describing. It was that man, our former traveling companion! He had come to Sretensky Monastery with his wife. How did it happen? He was in Moscow on business, and while passing the Sretensky Boulevard metro station, he heard it being announced and said to his wife:

“We have to get off here, right now!”

They jumped out of the train car. As he himself said, they walked out “into nowhere”, went upstairs and started asking passers-by where the Sretensky Monastery was. They were shown the way and eventually found us. Then he asked the guard to call me, and I went out. We headed for the cafe. But before that I had stopped by my cell to take some presents for him. I found a flashlight for him and also took a Gospel and something else. He was really disappointed that he couldn’t give me anything in return. While we were sitting at the cafe, he held my hand all the time. We had a cordial chat.

A couple of days later, he came again—this time with a present. He gave me something that was dear to him: a book about a samurai. He said that that book had encouraged him in the trenches. And on his second visit he confessed that he was actually baptized. He got baptized on his own initiative when the Chechen War had broken out. On hearing about it, his wife was both pleased and surprised at the same time. The most important thing is that he came, found our monastery, and was very frank with us. His heart gradually began to thaw. I introduced him to Fr. Cyprian. And the next time he came to our monastery, he said:

“I’m ready. I want to confess. I’ve finally made up my mind. A new path has opened up for me. I am grateful to God that I am alive.”

    

He decided for himself that he was an Orthodox Christian. Faith is needed, a living contact with God, even though it is small. And then the Lord will begin to help you. You need to take at least some steps towards God—and the Lord will rush to meet you, like the loving father from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. And now this man is back. Yes, the Lord arranged such circumstances that, with Vladyka Tikhon’s blessing, we traveled in that compartment together. There was Divine Providence in this. Though we just talked and didn’t aim to bring him to the Church. And something that had been sleeping for a very long time awakened in him. Afterwards he confessed, spoke with Fr. Cyprian for a long time, and happily went to his place of service. Later I heard that he had already begun visiting churches. Glory to God for everything!