Recent history has shown that ecclesiastical diplomacy often precedes geopolitical developments. When, in 2018, the Ecumenical Throne handed over the Tomos of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, no one could have foreseen Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine a few years later. Most, in fact, regarded such a scenario as far-fetched.
Vladimir Putin, however, has shown to those capable of analyzing his actions that he has often used the power and influence exercised by religion as a tool to control Orthodox Christians. To this end, he first used the late Patriarch of Moscow Alexy, who was of Estonian origin—born and raised in Tallinn—and today his successor Kirill, who serves as the standard-bearer of the Church of Moscow for Russia’s penetration into the millions of faithful in Orthodox countries.
The separation of the Ukrainian Church from the Patriarchate of Moscow dealt a heavy blow to Russia, and relations between the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople entered a chapter of division between the two Churches.
With regard to the latest developments and the attack launched by the Patriarchate of Moscow against the Ecumenical Patriarch, the pretext was the request of the Orthodox Church of Lithuania, as well as the country’s government, for the establishment of an Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate there—a request that the Phanar granted. The Russians now accuse Patriarch Bartholomew of “encroachment” into Russia’s “territories” and attempt to slander him, claiming that he serves “interests,” “spies,” and “planted neo-Nazis.”
Explaining the position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Demetrios of the Princes’ Islands, speaking to parapolitika.gr, stressed that “the peoples of these states are the ones who decide the future of their lives, and I believe that they wish to break free from Russia’s influence. What is being written against our Patriarchate has political motives. They want to harm the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”
The essence of the matter is that the Russians see themselves losing their footholds in the autonomous Churches of the Baltic States—namely Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia—and for this reason they are launching this attack, Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeri told parapolitika.gr. He served the Church of Estonia for four years (2005–2009) and is currently in Tallinn as part of efforts to address the new crisis.
The Background of the Autonomy of the Baltic StatesFear of war and hostility toward the Patriarchate of Moscow have ecclesiastically turned Northern Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania toward the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1923, the Phanar granted autonomy to the Churches of Finland and Estonia, and in 1936 to the Church of Latvia. In 1945, however, after Stalin annexed the three countries to the Soviet Union, he abolished the autonomy of the three Churches and bound them to the Patriarchate of Moscow. At the same time, during Stalin’s era, a Metropolis was established that was directly connected to the Patriarchate of Moscow.
According to Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeri, on the basis of this history the current administration of the Patriarchate of Moscow considers the entire Church of Latvia to belong to it. However, as he points out, since 1991 the Baltic States have become independent. Nevertheless, Moscow insists that the Churches of the three countries, as well as the Church of Ukraine, still fall under the jurisdiction of the Russian Church.
“They unjustly, uncanonically, entirely without basis consider that, because from 1945 to 1990 Stalin ‘seized’ the Churches, they have acquired a right of ownership over them to this day. Such a thing does not exist, does not stand, and has no validity,” explains the Metropolitan of Peristeri.
Throughout all these years of confrontation, Moscow has never missed an opportunity to undermine the prestige of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, accusing it of being “schismatic,” along with the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Churches of Greece and Cyprus, which recognized the autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine.
It is also worth noting that the crisis in relations between the three countries and Russia is not recent. In January 2024, the Estonian authorities expelled Metropolitan Evgeny, who headed the metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia, considering him a threat to the country’s national security.
This event was linked to geopolitical tensions and Estonia’s concerns over Moscow’s expansionist intentions. According to Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeri, “at this moment the Baltic States are living under a sense of threat. Whatever the Russians demanded in Ukraine, they have also demanded for Estonia,” raising fears that what happened in Ukraine could also occur in the Baltic countries.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
