EDITORIAL ⟩ Begone, Satan!

Illustration: Urmas Nemvalts

• The Russian Orthodox Church is an instrument of the Kremlin.
• The Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate must make a choice.
• The separation of church and state is a fundamental principle.

«Gott mit uns,» or «God [is] with us,» was not only the royal motto of Prussia but also inscribed on the belt buckles of German soldiers during World War II. Throughout history, divine support has been invoked before battles, but it is evident to even the least religious that no deity can justify the act of killing. When claimed otherwise, it is merely the fabrication of those who wish to mask their blood lust with divine justification.

It has happened again: at the end of March, the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, under the leadership of Patriarch Kirill, declared the war in Ukraine a holy war for all Russians, aimed at opposing the «degenerate» West, annexing Ukraine to Russia, and eliminating Ukraine's independent Orthodox Church because it is not the «correct» church.

Thus, it has been made explicitly clear that the Russian Orthodox Church is a possessed instrument within Vladimir Putin's power hierarchy, very much in the same way as during Stalin's era. A wolf in sheep's clothing may resemble a sheep, but it is neither harmless nor vegetarian. The West must understand that the Russian Orthodox Church, operating under the guise of traditional religious freedom, exploits the privileges of democratic, free societies to conduct influence operations and potentially espionage.

In some Russian-language schools in Estonia, religious education is conducted by representatives of the Orthodox Church, promoting a worldview aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church’s preferences. This often happens with the silent consent of school administrations, violating the principles of religious freedom. By default, it also undermines another vital Western principle, the separation of church and state.

Postimees argues that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate must decide whether or not it recognizes the values enshrined in the Estonian Constitution. Vague and evasive explanations, such as those given by Bishop Daniel Lepisk, representative of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, at Tuesday's press conference, are not enough. In the current situation, the only conceivable option is to remove "Moscow Patriarchate" from the church's name and continue operating in Estonia as an independent church, free from Moscow.

Postimees argues that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate must decide whether or not it recognizes the values enshrined in the Estonian Constitution.

Unfortunately, at the same press conference, Bishop Daniel did not deem it feasible to sever canonical ties with Moscow. Yet, following Patriarch Kirill's statement, the only conceivable option is to detach the church from the «Russian World» mentality and ideology. If the clerics linked to the Moscow Patriarchate in Estonia cannot achieve this enlightenment on their own, they must be supported in finding it.

Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets informed Postimees that he has sought evaluations from security agencies. In this matter, the Latvians have once again beat us to the punch. Their parliament decided in September last year, that their Orthodox Church must be completely independent of any church authority outside Latvia. Indeed, Estonia is home to an Orthodox Church affiliated with Constantinople, but they do not endorse the heinous killings in Ukraine.