Estonian Parliament Says Orthodox Church is "Like Community Controlled by ISIS Emir."

The Estonian Parlaimental Chamber. CREDIT: www.riigikogu.ee

Tallinn, Estonia — The Estonian government is moving ahead with legislation designed to dismantle the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC) unless it severs all canonical ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) has approved a second reading of a law that would outlaw any religious organization maintaining foreign financial or spiritual ties deemed “hostile” to the state.

The law’s supporters openly admit the bill is aimed at the EOCC.

MP Ando Kiviberg claimed the measure is not a violation of religious freedom, insisting that “it’s solely about ending subordination” to Russian ecclesiastical authorities. MP Kalev Stoicescu went even further, comparing the EOCC’s relationship with Moscow to “a religious community subordinated to an ISIS emir.”

The language marks a dramatic escalation in rhetoric and policy, effectively equating centuries-old canonical ties with terrorism. The legislation, if passed, would force the EOCC into schism or legal limbo—despite no proof of criminal conduct or political agitation from the Church itself.

As Michael Warren Davis recently pointed out, after the Churches of Constantinople and Moscow decided to restore communion and let the people decide which Church they preferred, over 90% of Orthodox Estonians remained in the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (formerly the Estonian Orthodox Church - EOC). The Estonian government, however, had other plans—waging a years long campaign against the canonical Church.

Critics argue the bill weaponizes national security concerns to justify religious discrimination, creating a dangerous precedent in a European Union member state. As the final vote approaches, Orthodox Christians in Estonia face a difficult, but increasingly common choice: betray their faith or break the law.

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