Patriarch's Visit to Estonia Seen as a Mending of Ties
By Michael Tarm
The Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia --
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II arrived in Estonia on Thursday for a five-day visit, his first since a bitter dispute over the status of faithful in the country once threatened to split Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Estonians say they also see the patriarch's visit as a signal from the Kremlin that it wants to improve relations with Estonia, which has sparred with Moscow over several bilateral issues since the country became independent amid the 1991 Soviet collapse.
"This trip is a kind of psychological breakthrough," said Marko Mihkelson, head of the Estonian parliament's foreign relations committee. "It's not just any old trip. It is, I would say, a kind of step toward the normalization of Estonian-Russian relations."
Alexy could be uniquely positioned to carry any goodwill message, not only because he is viewed as an emissary of the Russian government. He was born in Estonia in 1929, grew up and went to school here. He reportedly speaks fluent Estonian.
During his stay, Alexy is to meet Estonian President Arnold Ruutel and Prime Minister Juhan Parts. He is also scheduled to visit several monasteries and the imposing Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral, whose onion-shaped domes tower above the old town in Tallinn.
He also will hold a service in Tallinn by the graves of his mother and father.
Alexy's family links did not prevent a feud from erupting over Estonia in 1996, when ethnic-Estonian Orthodox switched allegiance to the Turkey-based Patriarchate in Istanbul, formerly the Byzantine capital Constantinople -- headed by Patriarch Bartholomew. Ethnic Russians, a third of the Estonian population, stayed loyal to Moscow.
Alexy at the time blasted Bartholomew for a "tragic division of Orthodoxy" by "invading" the Moscow Patriarchate's "territory."
Bartholomew said he had merely accepted the will of Estonians, many of whom argued Alexy was too close to Russia.
At the height of tensions, Alexy even prohibited Russian clergy from holding services with clergy subordinate to Bartholomew for several weeks.
Tempers have since eased, especially after the two branches of the Orthodox church in Estonia last year took steps to resolve complex, historically based disagreements over property rights to scores of churches and hundreds of hectares of land.
Most Estonians have enthusiastically welcomed Alexy's visit, but Estonian media reports have continued to raise long-standing allegations that the patriarch once had close ties with the KGB.
Estonian leaders do seem determined to roll out the red carpet for Russia's spiritual leader. Among other honors, he is scheduled to receive one of the nation's highest medals, the Maarjamaa Cross -- granted to just a handful of foreigners since Estonia regained independence.