President Karis commended the patriarch’s activities in Ukraine, expressing his admiration of the ecumenical patriarch’s dedication to helping Ukrainian Orthodox Christians in the war unleashed by Russia. “Russia’s war is not only war against the people, culture and survival of Ukraine. This war is an annihilation of the shared values of all peace-loving and free societies in the world,” said President Karis. “We have joined our forces and continue to fully support Ukraine.”
President Karis expressed his appreciation for the ecumenical patriarch’s activities in Ukraine in ensuring that Orthodox Christians can hold liturgies in the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but also the activities of the chaplains of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church in Ukraine and in helping war refugees in Estonia. “Together we can help those who currently need it most,” said the head of state. He stressed that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine also has an important role after the war, as the Ukrainian people need help in coping with war trauma, pain and grief.
President Karis paid tribute to the ecumenical patriarch’s leadership and inspiring example in addressing climate and environmental issues. “Estonia wishes to use technological innovation to better protect the environment, accelerate transition to green energy, restore and preserve natural resources and support the achievement of UN climate objectives,” the president added. He expressed hope that the World Cleanup Day started by Estonia will soon become an official UN event.
President Karis thanked the ecumenical patriarch for his personal contribution to the development of the Orthodox Church in Estonia and highlighted the church’s importance in maintaining and reinforcing the identity of the Setos. “Similarly to the Estonian Orthodox Church, Estonia itself has faced many challenges throughout its history. Even though the church and the state are separate in Estonia, they have supported each other during times of hardship,” said the head of state. He commended the decades-long dedication of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church to spiritual leadership, which is important from the perspective of mental health and for society as a whole.
The Estonian head of state also highlighted the cooperation between the University of Tartu, the Volos Academy for Theological Studies and the Estonian Orthodox Church in education and research that enriches our field of theology.
His All-Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is visiting Estonia at the invitation of President Alar Karis. The visit is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church and the 30th anniversary of its restoration.
