Estonian Government Passes New Law Against Orthodox Church
New legislation would force the Estonian Orthodox Church to cut its ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. This is depsite the fact that the Estonian Church has been autonomous since 1993.
TALLINN — On June 17, 2025, the Estonian Parliament passed a revised amendment to the “Law on Churches and Congregations”, requiring the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) and the Pühtitsa Convent to sever all supposed organizational and financial ties with the Moscow Patriarchate within six months.
The law, adopted with 68 votes in favor and 17 against, aims to curb foreign religious influence deemed a threat to Estonia’s national security.
This decision follows President Alar Karis’s earlier refusal to ratify the original bill in April, citing constitutional concerns regarding religious freedom. The revised version clarifies that ties to foreign religious centers are prohibited if those entities support military aggression or undermine Estonia’s independence and constitutional order.
The law defines who may serve in clerical and leadership roles within religious institutions. Individuals who are prohibited from residing in Estonia are not allowed to serve in such a capacity.
It also allows members of religious organizations to leave bodies that do not comply with the law and provides a simplified process for amending religious statutes.
As the UOJ has previously reported, the EOC has no ties to the Moscow Patriarchate—financial, organizational, or otherwise. Moscow granted autonomy to the Estonian Church in 1993.
Estonia’s recent laws are meant to favor a small, schismatic sect called the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church.
The Union of Orthodox Journalists has prepared a primer on the history of the Estonian Schism, from its origins in 1923 to the recent spate of legislation meant to undermine the EOC.
