In Estonia, Moscow Patriarchate is recognised as institution that supports Russian aggression
On Monday, 6 May, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) adopted a statement condemning the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate in justifying and supporting the Russian aggression against Ukraine and declaring the Moscow Patriarchate an institution that supports the military aggression of the Russian Federation.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to ERR.
As noted, this applies to the Moscow Patriarchate as an institution and governing body, and not to people who adhere to the traditions of Orthodoxy.
It is reported that 75 deputies voted in favour of the decision, while 8 deputies voted against.
The statement condemned the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the illegal annexation of the seized territories and noted that Putin's terrorist regime, which threatens with nuclear weapons, has become the greatest threat to peace in Europe and around the world.
‘Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has openly supported the aggression of the terrorist regime of the Russian Federation since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine unleashed by the Russian Federation in 2022. As an instrument of war propaganda, the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate and Patriarch Kirill use the ideology of the ‘Russian World’, which is used to suppress democracy in Russia, militarise Russian society and justify aggression in order to expand the Russian Federation to all territories historically under Russian influence, including Ukraine,’ the statement reads.
According to the statement, in March, the World Russian People's Council, established under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church and chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow, adopted a programme document entitled ‘The Present and Future of the Russian World’, according to which the aggressive war in Ukraine is a holy war against both Ukraine and the entire Western world, and the sphere of influence of the Russian Federation extends beyond the territory of the former Russian Empire.
‘The calls of the Moscow Patriarchate pose a threat to the security and existence of Estonia, including a direct threat to the social and constitutional order in Estonia,’ the statement reads.
The Parliament also calls on all states and the international community to prevent the Moscow Patriarchate's hostile influence activities.
As a reminder, during the congress of the World Russian People's Council, which took place on 27-28 March and was chaired by the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a document was adopted outlining the Kremlin's intention to destroy Ukraine. The ‘order’ calls Russia's invasion of Ukraine a ‘holy war’, emphasising the explicit goal of destroying Ukraine's independence and establishing direct Russian rule.
