Ex-Minister of Health Yevgeniy Osinovski of Estonia expressed indignation that the head of the Estonian branch of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Yevgeniy, actually took part in the election campaign of the “Together” (Koos) movement, leading a prayer “against the fratricidal war in Ukraine”, reports Delfi.
“Metropolitan Yevgeniy, head of the Estonian branch of the Moscow Patriarchate, decided to participate in the election campaign of the Riigikogu. Together with pro-Kremlin swindler Ivo Peterson, a pre-election event will be organized in Toompea on February 22, during which a prayer “for peace in Ukraine” will be held in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the politician writes.
According to him, this is gross hypocrisy in a situation where the Moscow Patriarchate and its head Kirill personally justify aggression and murders in Ukraine. To do this with political candidates who diligently repeat the Kremlin’s theses about the war in Ukraine is a confirmation of his true position.
“In this situation, the Estonian state has two options. The first: Metropolitan Yevgeniy should withdraw from this political action to confirm his earlier statements that he is beyond party politics. In his comment, the metropolitan says that, while recording the video with Ivo Peterson against the background of the icon, he did not understand that this campaign event, where what happens in the temple, forms one whole with the demonstration in the square. Well, now his attention is drawn to it, and the mistake can be fixed.
Another option is that the Ministry of Internal Affairs cancels his residence permit and politely asks him to leave. The Estonian state has already informed the respected metropolitan that we in Estonia do not tolerate the political activity of the church, which is intertwined with the line of the government of the aggressor state. I think he crossed that line,” Osinovski wrote.
