Earlier we reported that the Estonian government again refused to register the new legal name of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Despite the fact that, at the request of the authorities, the EOC changed its name for the second time by submitting the relevant documents to the registration authorities, this was not enough for the republic’s authorities. The state is not satisfied with the fact that the new name “Estonian Christian Orthodox Church” allegedly “misleads as to the purpose and scope of its activities, as it creates a false impression that it is a Church that unites all Orthodox believers in Estonia.”
“Insurance companies refuse to work with us or sharply raise prices,” - Estonian Church hierarch
Bishop Daniel of Tartu, vicar of the Diocese of Tallinn of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, said that the state uses various levers of pressure on the EOC to force the Church to break ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. The hierarch noted that the Estonian Church was actually outlawed, depriving it of the opportunity to use basic administrative services in Estonia. The hierarch’s comment was reported by the media.
“The lease agreement for the premises for the church office was terminated, insurance companies refuse to work with us or sharply increase prices, we cannot receive financial assistance from the state. In a democratic state, everyone should have the right to follow their conscience and faith without state interference in this fundamental right,” — the bishop emphasized.
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