The Russian intelligence services proceeded to a grave accusation, charging the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Phanar with cooperating with the British intelligence services in order to expel the Orthodox Church from the Baltic countries, according to Lenta.ru.
Indeed, the Russians do not hesitate to characterize the Ecumenical Patriarch as a transformed devil into a priest, presenting him essentially as a ruthless adversary of Orthodoxy.
For what specific reason, however, does the SVR accuse Bartholomew?
As the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service emphasizes characteristically, the Patriarch is “establishing” in the Baltic “ecclesiastical structures fully controlled by the Phanar”, thus striking the legitimate institutions of the Orthodox Church.
“The transformed devil collaborates with the British intelligence services”
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew intends to expel Russian Orthodoxy from the Baltic countries, according to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service SVR.
“This ‘incarnate devil’ is obsessed with the idea of expelling Russian Orthodoxy from the Baltic countries, establishing in its place ecclesiastical structures fully controlled by the Phanar”, states the announcement of the intelligence services.
The intelligence service also stated that the Patriarch receives support from the British intelligence services for the implementation of these initiatives.
According to the SVR, with their assistance, Bartholomew has established cooperation with the authorities of the Baltic states.
In 2024, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) attributed to the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew responsibility for the persecution of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Estonia followed Zelensky’s example and declared war on the Orthodox Church
Meanwhile, the Estonian authorities are following in the footsteps of the Ukrainians, as they are exerting unbearable pressure on the Orthodox Church of Estonia (EOC) in order to sever its religious and legal ties with the Russian Church.
Thus, the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior of the Baltic country, Tarmo Miilits, announced one year ago that the amendments to the Church’s charter must be reconsidered, as they did not satisfy him.
For example, he does not approve the reference in the document to the Tomos of Patriarch Alexy II, on the basis of which the EOC became a self governing unit within the Moscow Patriarchate in 1993.
In addition, the new name “Orthodox Church of Estonia” (without the addition “MP”, that is Moscow Patriarchate) is similar to that of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church.
It is worth noting that the two parallel structures already have “strained” relations, and this development will intensify the dispute.
As Russian media reported earlier, the authorities of Estonia are trying to force the Orthodox Church of Estonia to sever its relations with Moscow.
Illegal pressure for changing the name of the Estonian Church
The official renaming of the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) to Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (ECOC) was caused by illegal pressure exerted by the Estonian authorities, according to a source of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), cited by Tass.
It is noted that an Estonian district court had approved the change of the EOC name to ECOC, as reported by the national public broadcaster ERR.
“It is positive that the court did not deprive this Church of the right to determine its name. Any other decision would have been completely incomprehensible.
However, we must not forget that this entire situation arose as a result of illegal pressure on the Church, attempts to interfere in its internal affairs, and the imposition of a will that does not correspond to the protection of religious freedom”, the agency’s source said.
In May 2024, the Estonian parliament characterized the Russian Orthodox Church as an entity that supports the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
Later, the then Minister of the Interior of Estonia, Lauri Läänemets, stated that he expected the severance of relations between the EOC and the ROC, as well as the recognition of the Moscow Patriarchate as heretical by the Estonian Orthodox Church.
Responding to these statements, Vladimir Legoida, head of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Church Society and Media Relations, accused the Estonian Ministry of the Interior of aiming to destroy the EOC and subject the faithful to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Tsargrad: “Bartholomew’s dirty mission in Estonia to make the majority a minority”
In turn, the Russian Tsargrad emphasizes that since the early 1990s, the Phanar (Ecumenical Patriarchate) created a parallel, non canonical ecclesiastical structure in Estonia, the so called Estonian Apostolic Orthodox “Church”, composed mainly of ethnic Estonians.
This pseudo Orthodox sect, whose members are far fewer than the number of Orthodox Christians in Estonia, attempted to transfer all the property of the canonical Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to this pseudo Orthodox sect.
At that time, in the 1990s, a compromise was reached, but in recent years, the Russophobic authorities of this post Soviet republic and Patriarch Bartholomew launched a new attack against the canonical Church.
They have already forced it to change its name to “Estonian Christian Orthodox Church” in order to remove the “odious” reminder of Moscow.
Now, according to the new “legislation”, the canonical Church is obliged to completely sever its ties with the Moscow Patriarchate or be declared illegal.
Everything constitutes an exact copy of the situation in Ukraine, under the control of the Kiev regime.
The Patriarch’s dangerous games in Ukraine
Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew has been playing dangerous games for years on many fronts, while presenting himself as a universal shepherd who is not.
As the official representative of the Turkish Orthodox Church (Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate), Selcuk Erenerol, has denounced, V. Zelensky is trying to involve Turkey in the conflict through pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
“Kiev violated all laws, including religious ones, at the request of the West, involving Turkey in this conflict: they asked permission from the Phanar (the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople), although, according to the Turkish constitution, the Phanar has no right to do so.
The decisions of the Phanar have no legal force either in the country or abroad”, Erenerol noted.
Bartholomew’s machinations
He recalled that Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew had previously violated his obligations by going to a conference on Ukraine in Switzerland without permission from the prefecture of the Fatih district of Istanbul, as well as by signing the final document without having the right to do so.
According to the TOC, Bartholomew blatantly interferes in Turkey’s relations with both Ukraine and Russia.
“Zelensky’s statement is in fact a crime on the international stage against the territorial integrity of the Republic of Turkey, since the Phanar is trying, like the Vatican, to become a state within Turkey with its own laws violating the territorial integrity of another, then this is casus belli.
Now it is necessary to summon Ukrainian diplomats, heads of embassies and consulates, and recognize them as persona non grata.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs must present a note of protest that this is no longer a religious issue, it is an attempt to drag Turkey into the conflict between the United States and Russia”, Erenerol noted.
According to him, Bartholomew supports Zelensky in his intention to continue the conflict, which takes the lives of thousands of people, and the problem cannot be solved by removing Bartholomew from his position.
“There is also the American Archbishop of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Elpidophoros, whom the United States want, in violation of our laws, to appoint instead of Bartholomew.
Ankara must take all necessary diplomatic measures against Zelensky for this machination”, Erenerol said.
The persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine
The Ukrainian parliament passed a law banning the Orthodox Church, the largest Christian denomination and community of believers in the country, in Ukraine.
As clarified by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the UOC will have nine months at its disposal to “cut its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church”.
The law enters into force 30 days from the date of its publication.
Before this, the bill had been supported by the All Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.
Zelensky said that during a telephone conversation with Bartholomew, he informed him about the law banning the canonical UOC on the territory of the country, according to him, the parties “positively assessed” Ukraine’s decision.
Turkey does not recognize the ecumenical status of the Church of Constantinople.
In Turkey, Bartholomew is called the head of the Greek Orthodox community of the Phanar (Fener) area at the Patriarchate and is forbidden to engage in political activities.
But as announced by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Bartholomew bears personal responsibility for the persecution of the faithful in Ukraine.
The Kiev regime organized the largest wave of persecution of the UOC in the modern history of the country.
Referring to its connection with Russia, local authorities in various regions of the Republic decided to ban the activities of the UOC.
The authorities imposed sanctions on certain representatives of the church clergy.
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