Pühtitse Monastery responds to Estonian government's demand to transfer to Phanar's control

The Pühtitsa Stavropegic Monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in Estonia, sent a response to the government of the republic to the demand that the monastery leave the Russian Orthodox Church and join the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The monastery pointed out that they may not share the position of the Patriarch of Moscow on political issues, but they do not have the authority to change their jurisdictional affiliation on their own. This was reported by the Telegram channel Religion Today.

“The monastery remains of the previously expressed opinion that it does not have the authority and rights to independently appeal to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia with a request to withdraw the stauropegion and transfer the Pyukhtitsa Assumption Stauropegial Monastery to the bosom of Constantinople,” — the statement reads.

The monastery noted that the Patriarch may be mistaken and not everything he says is the truth in the last instance. Nevertheless, the status of the monastery is sufficient to not participate in political processes, while continuing to organize monastic life.

“The Orthodox Church does not endow the Patriarch with the special powers that the Pope has for Catholics — to be a guarantor, a guardian of church truth who does not make mistakes when he speaks from the pulpit. The patriarch can be wrong, and not everything he says can be true. He himself, at his own discretion, participates in non-church gatherings of people, speaks a lot there, and can be mistaken or deceived. The patriarch, like all other people of the church, is not immune from falling. However, the Church will not be destroyed by the fall of individuals. […] The history of the monastery contains many examples and confirmations that we, the monks of the monastery in stavropegial status, are free from political and worldly tendencies and can, based on the opinion of the Spiritual Council of the monastery, determine the spiritual component of what is happening. We make our choices based on our spiritual experience and the right to freedom of action. Regardless of who the request or demand comes from, whether it is a politician or the clergy, we decide whether to fulfill, ignore or categorically refuse to fulfill them,” — the Pyukhtitsa Monastery added in a statement.

Earlier, we reported that the head of the Estonian Ministry of the Interior proposed to the government of the republic a bill according to which religious organizations associated with institutions that support military aggression should not operate in the country. According to the minister, the change in the law is due to the fact that the Estonian Orthodox Church itself has not taken significant steps to break away from the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church.