Russian Church Official Condemns Estonian Minister’s Proposal to Label Moscow Patriarchate as Terrorist Organization

OCP News Service – 14/03/2024

Moscow – Russia Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media, V.R. Legoida, has strongly condemned the intention of Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets to propose recognizing the Moscow Patriarchate as a terrorist organization, calling it a regression to dark historical periods of religious conflict.

In a statement posted on his Telegram channel, Legoida criticized the Estonian minister’s proposal, likening it to episodes from religious wars and witch hunts in history. He emphasized that the Moscow Patriarchate is not involved in any terrorist activities and highlighted the law-abiding nature of the Estonian Orthodox Church, which operates within Estonia and maintains spiritual ties with believers in Russia.

Describing the Estonian minister’s statement as “theater of the absurd,” Legoida accused Estonian politicians of using anti-Russian sentiment as a political tactic to divert attention from genuine societal issues.

Legoida stressed the role of the Church and faith in fostering connections between societies and peoples, lamenting that political actions were undermining these efforts to build bridges. He concluded by emphasizing that blame should not fall on religious institutions for political agendas that seek to divide rather than unite communities.

Source:

OCP News Service and patriarchia.ru