COMMUNIQUE
OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE ON THE AUTONOMY OF
THE CHURCH OF ESTONIA
The
following communiqué is issued from the Chief Secretariat
of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate:
On February 20, 1996, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate was convened and presided over
by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomew. Deliberating
in the Holy Spirit, the Synod unanimously decided, by
Patriarchal and Synodical Act, to declare the reactivation
of the Tome of 1923 which had been issued during the tenure
of Ecumenical Patriarch Meletios IV This Tome had established
under the Ecumenical Patriarchate the Autonomous Orthodox
Apostolic Church of Estonia known as "Orthodox Metropolitanate
of Estonia". Due to the then existing political conditions
and following the persistent request of the Patriarch
of Moscow, the Tome was declared inoperative in 1978.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate has assigned the neighboring
Archbishop John of Karelia and all Finland as Locum Tenens
of the reinstated Autonomous Orthodox Metropolitanate
of Estonia. Archbishop John will oversee the restructuring
of the Metropolitanate ad referendum to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, which will then proceed with the election
and installation of the canonical hierarchs of the Metropolitanate.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate proceeded with this decision
following the persistent request of the Estonian Government
and the overwhelming majority of the Estonian Orthodox
parishes, which requested they be placed again under the
aegis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The said parishes
declared categorically that even if the Ecumenical Patriarchate
declined to receive them, under no condition would they
remain any longer under the Patriarchate of Moscow. It
is noted that in 1945 the Autonomous Church of Estonia
was unilaterally and forcibly abolished by the Patriarchate
of Moscow, following the annexation, under the might of
weapons, of Estonia to the Soviet Union. At that time,
the Primate of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Estonia
was compelled along with the clergy and laity of his Church
to establish itself in Sweden as head of the Autonomous
Orthodox Church of Estonia in Exile. Having regained political
independence as a country, the reinstitution of the Autonomous
Church of Estonia, forcibly abolished as indicated above,
costituted a j ust request of the Estonian Orthodox. To
this j ust request the Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
out of a sense of responsibility and by canonical and
historical right, was duty-bound to respond in with compassion
to their request and in their defense. This request of
the Estonian Government and the Estonian Orthodox clergy
and laity met with opposition by His Beatitude the Patriarch
Alexy of Moscow and All Russia, even though, as has firmly
been the case in Orthodoxy, all autocephalous and autonomous
Orthodox Churches were so declared, always according to
the demand of the governments of the countries of these
Churches, as well as of their clergy and laity. In its
effort to avoid all antagonism within the bosom of the
Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate entered into
bilateral discussions with the Most Holy Church of Russia
that they might reach a solution of compromise acceptable
by all. Unfortunately, due to the intransigent position
of the Patriarchate of Moscow, these discussions pursued
over a two-year period did not bring about any positive
results. Following this, the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
recognizing that it cannot be permitted to: a) neither
betray the centuries-old tradition regarding the means
and conditions by which autonomous and autocephalous Churches
are instituted, b) nor to overlook the right of the Estonian
Orthodox Church which by a two-thirds majority -more than
67%-- over which the Church of Russia has exercised unbearable
pressure through continual punishment and sanctions, adamantly
demands to reinstitute the operation of the former status
of the ecclesiastical autonomy in effect prior to 1945
when it was abolished by the Soviets ; nor to overlook
the similar unyielding demand of the Government of Estonia.
c) nor, finally, to obliterate the future of Orthodoxy
in the modem world, a world, which seeks Orthodoxy, through
actions which essentially project it as either Slavonic
or Greek as if those wishing to embrace Orthodoxy need
first to be Greek or Russian, which would prove most disastrous
for Orthodoxy and its message. With a painful soul the
Ecumenical Patriarchate chose not to side with the mighty
of the earth, but to uphold justice and responsibility.
The Patriarchate prays for one and only one thing, that
by all means the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be magnified
and that Orthodoxy be glorified. Pursuing love and peace
with all, excluding no one and in particular the Patriarchate
of Moscow and its Primate His Beatitude Patriarch Alexy,
the Church of Costantinople declares with joy and delight
that it will accept whatever positive proposals the Church
of Russia might offer for the good of the Estonian Orthodox
Autonomous Church and for a better settlement of all matters
concerning her.
At the Patriarchate, February 24, 1996, from the Chief
Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod.
