Earlier, we reported that Estonian President Alar Karis had again vetoed amendments to the state law “On Churches and Parishes,” through which the republic’s parliament planned to ban the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The head of state noted that the law, despite having been repeatedly revised in parliament, still contradicts certain articles of the Estonian Constitution.
Estonia will once again attempt to pass a law banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church
The Estonian parliament will once again attempt to push through amendments to the state law “On Churches and Parishes,” which are aimed at banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. After Estonian President Alar Karis twice vetoed this anti-church initiative of the Riigikogu, the law was sent to the parliamentary Constitutional Commission, which by a majority vote declared it to be in line with the country’s Constitution. This was reported by ERR.EE.
It is reported that the Constitutional Commission gave its assessment of the law and decided to support the consideration of the law in the Riigikogu in its original form. Anastasia Kovalenko-Kilvart (Centrist Party) voted against it. Ants Frosch (Isamaa) abstained. The chairman of the Constitutional Commission, Ando Kiviberg (Eesti 200), said that, in the commission’s opinion, the law is quite clear and unambiguous.
«The purpose of this bill has been quite clear and unambiguous from the outset. Given the changing situation in the world and considering where Estonia is located and the influence we have been under in recent years, we have no other choice. We must establish very clear rules for any activity aimed at exerting influence, regardless of the guise under which it is carried out. In this case, our national security considerations significantly outweigh the right of people to do anything, including evil, under the pretext of freedom of religion,» — Kivimägi said.
It should be noted that the amendments to the Law on Churches and Parishes provide for the possibility of updating parish statutes without the approval of higher church authorities, a ban on ties with spiritual centers located in “a state that threatens the security of Estonia,” and the impossibility of ordaining persons who are prohibited from entering the country as clergy.
The initiator of the changes to Estonian legislation was former Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets, who has repeatedly accused the canonical Orthodox Church of being “an instrument of the Kremlin’s influence.”
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