His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has made an official visit to Estonia from the 26th of October to the 1st of November 2000.
He was met in Tallinn airport by the representatives of the President and Prime Minister of the Republic and with the protocol officials from the side of the State. From the Church he was met by His Eminence, Archbishop John of Karelia and All Finland, His Eminence, Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia and other clergy members.
The ambassador of Greece to Estonia with his wife was also present in the airport.
Soon after the arrival of the Patriarch there was a prayer service in the church of Transfiguration of Tallinn, where the Prime Minister was present. His All-Holiness read the act of canonisation of martyr bishop Plato and those who suffered with him.
Next day His All-Holiness visited the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Prime Minister, the speaker of the Parliament and the President of the Republic, having cordial discussions with each one. He had lunch with the Prime Minister and dinner with the President. In the Parliament he read a message to the Estonian people.
On 28 October he had lunch with the Mayor of Tallinn, made a visit to the Lutheran Cathedral, where the Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church received him, and after vespers in the Transfiguration church hold a conversation with the Orthodox youth of Estonia and Finland.
On Sunday, 29 October, he presided over a Divine Liturgy in the same church and said a sermon there. As his co-celebrants there were Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia, all the hierarchy of the Finnish Orthodox Church and the members of Patriarchal delegation, Representatives of the President and the Prime Minister, Nuncio of Vatican, Archbishop of the Lutheran Church and all the clergy of the EOC and a multitude of faithful were present.
He had a lunch with the clergy of the EOC. In the afternoon he blessed the renovation works of the church of St. Symeon and in the evening he was present on the reception organized by the Ambassador of Greece, where approximately 200 people took part, including the diplomatic corps.
On Monday, 30 October, he presided over a prayer service in the church of the Dormition of Mother of God in Tartu. The act of canonization of St. Plato and his fellow martyrs was read once again, because Tartu was the town where they suffered by the hands of the Bolsheviks on January 14, 1919. After venerating the place of their martyrdom and a visit to the Mayor, he had lunch with the Rector of the University. Then he made a speech to the professors and students on the theme: Quest for the sense of life.
In the evening he visited the town of Võru, its museum and the local Orthodox Church and had dinner with the Mayor of Võru.
Tuesday, 31 October he made his way to Värska, Treski and Põltsamaa; in the last-mentioned place he had a lunch with the governor of Jõgevamaa.
The same evening the Ecumenical Patriarch offered a festive dinner in Tallinn, where the President of the Republic and many Ministers were present. The Foreign Minister represented the Prime Minister.
Next day, the 1st of November, he sent a message by the TV to the Estonian people and gave a press conference, in which he thanked for the hospitality, explained matters relating to the autonomy of the EOC and expressed his wishes for the progress of both the Estonian people and the EOC.
After this, he flew back to his see with the same private airplane he had arrived with.

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