“Issues of the canonical structure of the Church cannot be regulated by decisions of state bodies,” - Archpriest Nikolai Balashov

Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, commented on the adoption by the Estonian Parliament of controversial amendments to the Law on Churches and Parishes, which effectively restrict the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The priest noted that state authorities have no right to influence the canonical structure of the Church. He said this in a commentary to RIA News.

“The amendments to the Law on Churches and Parishes adopted by the Riigikogu (Estonian parliament) require a detailed legal assessment. But from what is known about their content based on media reports, it is clear that the new version of the law retains some unconstitutional restrictions on religious freedom that contradict internationally recognized norms. It was this circumstance that led to the rejection of the previous version of the bill by the Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia, Mr. Karis. We are convinced that the issues of the canonical structure of the Church cannot be regulated by the decisions of state bodies in a secular state,” — the archpriest emphasized.

Earlier, we reported that the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church criticized the decision of the Estonian Parliament to amend the state law “On Churches and Parishes,” which actually restricts the activities of the EOCC. The statement issued by the Church says that it is under pressure, which, in addition, is provoked by representatives of the local structure of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Estonian Church considers it inappropriate to discuss canonical and ecclesiastical issues in such circumstances.