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TALLINN, Estonia | Estonia has given the country’s Moscow-linked Orthodox Church six months to appoint a new metropolitan and end Moscow’s administrative control, warning that it could otherwise face forced dissolution.
According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR, the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church has until December 28 to remove from its statutes provisions that preserve Moscow’s administrative control.
The deadline follows a new law barring religious organizations in Estonia from depending on leadership based in a state considered a threat to national security.
A new metropolitan
The first issue is the replacement of Metropolitan Eugene, whose secular name is Valery Reshetnikov. He was required to leave Estonia in early 2024 after the authorities refused to renew his residence permit on national