Estonia wants to declare Russian Orthodox Church a "terrorist organization"

The head of the Estonian Interior Ministry. Photo: Eero Vabamägi

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Estonia announced that he intends to initiate the recognition of the Moscow Patriarchate as a terrorist organization and plans to petition the court to cease the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Estonia, as reported by Postimees.

Estonian Minister Lauri Läänemets stated that he has no other choice, and his decision is based on an assessment by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and an evaluation by the Security Police of the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Church.

"This will not affect the parishioners, it does not mean that the churches will be closed, but it means that ties with Moscow will be severed," he said.

As reported by the UOJ, the Holy Synod of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate condemned the final document adopted at the XXV Congress of the World Russian People's Council, in which the war in Ukraine was called "holy", stating that it "does not correspond to the spirit of the Gospel teaching."

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