ESTONIA TODAY The Orthodox in Estonia: An address by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On May 29, 1995 His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Constantinople) gave an address to the Estonian Orthodox faithful during a visit to Finland. This address covers some important concerns for the future of the church in Estonia and offers some thoughts for consideration. (N.B.) The marked sections were highlighted by VMInfo. ________________________________________________________ Beloved children in Christ, blessed co-celebrants in the liturgy of the mysteries of God. In this peaceful land of Finland, we welcome with emotion and fatherly love our most beloved children of neighbouring Estonia, which is again free, after fifty years of Soviet occupation. From amidst the Finnish people, who were your kin, friend and always our ally, we convey through you the greeting of Christ and our Patriarchal blessing to all the Orthodox Communities of Estonia, which, since last February appealed to us to re-establish the canonical dependence of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Estonia upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This was the status of the Estonian Church for as long as Estonia was free, from the year 1923 until the coerced annexation of your fatherland to the Soviet Union. The capture of your land by the Red Army, according to the agreement between Hitler and Stalin and the abolishment of the national liberty of the Estonians by the Stalinist tyranny was accompanied by the suppression of the autonomy of the Orthodox Church of Estonia and by the obstruction of its unity with the sacred center of Orthodoxy. It is, therefore, obvious that the re-establishment of the old canonical order in the Estonian Orthodox Church, in the manner it was agreed upon by the Patriarchal and Synodical Tomos, constituted the answer of our Holy Mother Church to the general demand of all Estonians and Russians in free Estonia. Even the Russian Orthodox who lived in Estonia no longer accepted their dependence on the Russian patriarchate, located in the atheistic Soviet Union. Besides, no one can deny that the abolition of that ecclesiastical autonomy was decided by a foreign occupational force on Estonia. This was not decided by the Orthodox of Estonia, but was accomplished by force, by an atheistic dictatorship and not by the canonical process. For this reason our blessed predecessors, the Ecumenical Patriarchs continued to recognise the adherents to the canonical state, only those in Orthodox Estonians of the diaspora. They were under the self-exiled and blessed canonical Metropolitan of Estonia Alexander. After his death, they appointed a "locum tenens" for the vacant Autonomous Church of Estonia till the year 1978. We do not find, therefore, obstacles of canonical order for the reactivation, within the present free Estonia, of the stipulations of the Patriarchal Tomos of the year 1923, which we request. Moreover, we believe that no one can add canonical validity to change in the church of Estonia, which was forcefully imposed by the Stalinist dictatorship. Above all, this could not be done by the most holy Russian Church, ... Moreover, we know that our beloved brother, His Beatitude Patriarch Alexius II of Moscow and all Russia does not fail to mention the fact that, born in Estonia around 1929, he was baptised and spent his youth with that autonomous church, under the pallium of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, under the blessed Metropolitan of Estonia Alexander. Besides, also the father of His Beatitude, Michael Rodiger, studied under Metropolitan Alexander in the Seminary of Tallinn, and from him, obviously, received the priesthood in 1940. Therefore, certainly His Beatitude Patriarch Alexius II disputes neither the canonical status of the then Autonomous Church of Estonia under Metropolitan Alexander, of blessed memory, nor does His Beatitude present objections of canonical nature to the re-establishment of the valid, canonical order in the Estonian Church, the order, which was later overthrown by the Stalinist tyranny. On the other hand, the removal of the figuratively small Orthodox Church of Estonia does not lessen in any way the great majesty of the huge Russian Church comprised of two hundred million Russians. Nevertheless, there exist personal objections on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Alexius II, due not to his opposition towards you, the Estonians, but because of his close personal ties with his beloved fatherland Estonia. ... He was born in Estonia, he lived there for most of his life, there lie the graves of his parents, there he started serving the church since he was 16 years old, as a subdeacon in the Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky, in Tallinn. He shepherded Estonia as a Bishop continuously since 1961, he continued to shepherd the Estonian Church when he was elevated as Metropolitan of Leningrad in 1986, and as Patriarch of Moscow since 1990, when he was elected Patriarch and enthroned. He never wished to detach himself from his beloved Estonia. How, then, can he do this today? ... Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the fact that the Estonian Orthodox Church; remaining perhaps under the jurisdiction of the Russian Patriarchal, could have very adverse results for the future of Estonian Orthodoxy. The Estonian soul associated its subjugation under the Russian Church with the Soviet occupation of the land. The Russian Church, under the Soviet rule, suffered much more and much longer than the Estonian. The dependence of Estonian Orthodoxy upon Moscow appears as the last remnant of the Stalinist tyranny. But, even in the event that the memory of the Soviet period is wiped out, in the future, we know very well that the magnitude and the might of the Russian giant shall present itself as a menace to Estonia, We understand, therefore, some existing fears that, if you the Orthodox Estonians, continue to depend on the Russian Patriarchal, you will be considered foreigners to the body of Estonian society and even suspicious, as collaborators of your dangerous neighbour. ... Certainly, the danger of persecutions does not exist in Estonia, yet the survival and progress of the church seems to be problematic, if it does not enjoy total national confidence, if the national dignity of its members is disputed. We believe that our dear brother, His Beatitude Patriarch Alexius II of Moscow comprehends this problem and that he will soon sacrifice his own personal ties with Estonia for the general benefit of her Orthodoxy. Then, after the disagreement is peacefully transcended, we are confident that the Orthodox in Estonia, both Estonian and Russian, with joy and in one heart welcome His Beatitude, as often as he visits his birthplace, his parents' graves, the beloved places to whom he offered his service as a priest and a bishop. Then, for as long as you, Orthodox Estonians, will receive national recognition in your land, as the orthodox Finns in Finland have received it, you will also have the guarantee of peace and progress which your Orthodox Russian brothers enjoy in Estonia, and together with them you will certainly form one, undivided Orthodox Church. ________________________________