On Saturday 11th October, during the meeting of the Central Committee of the Conference of European Churches (Kek), the Orthodox Church of Moscow announced it will no longer be a member of the European body. The reason for such withdrawal - states a release, published by the Patriarchate of Moscow - is that the Central Committee of Kek refused to grant membership to the Orthodox Church of Estonia, an independent Church created in 1993 and related to the Patriarchate of Moscow. In the release, the Patriarchate points out that, beforehand, in November 2007, the Central Committee had granted membership to the "Apostolic Orthodox Church of Estonia", a Church created in 1996 by the Patriarchate of Constantinople (and not recognised by Moscow). In the release, the Patriarchate also questions the voting procedure, which led to the decision not to admit the Estonian Orthodox Church as a member, and acknowledges "with deep sorrow that Kek is losing its role of reconciliation and union, increasingly ignoring the voices of the Churches that are outside the European Union". The release ends by stating that the Orthodox Church of Russia will keep "developing good relations with the Churches that are members of Kek". Founded in 1959, the Conference of European Churches (Kek) gathers 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all over Europe. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg and works in close cooperation with the Catholic Church. A release published by the Russian Orthodox Church of France points out that for many years Kek had been headed by the current Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Alexius II, who back then was the metropolitan bishop of Tallin (Estonia). The "Estonian" question is therefore becoming crucial, not only for the Orthodox world, but also for the ecumenical movement. For the same reason (i.e. the presence of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Estonia), the Patriarchate of Moscow did not take part in the meeting of the Coordination Committee of the International Joint Committee for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, which took place in Crete from 27th September to 4th October.

---

The Conference of European Churches "regrets the decision taken by the Patriarchate of Moscow to suspend its membership. Going over what happened at the meeting of the Central Committee (which took place in Cyprus from 6th to 11th October) in a release published this morning, Kek - through its president, Rev Jean-Arnold de Clermont - "expresses its deep regret for the decision taken by the Patriarchate of Moscow". "This decision - he adds - does not reflect the work carried out by the Central Committee during the meeting in Cyprus. The Central Committee clearly expressed the wish to promote ecumenical fraternity in Estonia and the reconciliation of the two Orthodox Churches, which are already members of every Estonian Council of the Churches". However, in Cyprus - goes on president De Clermont - Kek "did not want to go beyond that", thus stating "that the two Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow must reach an agreement before they can find a solution that is acceptable to both parties. Therefore, the Central Committee had to postpone its decision". Therefore Kek wishes - confirms De Clermont - "it may be able to give an answer to the request put forward by the Estonian Orthodox Church - Patriarchate of Moscow before the Kek meeting in Lyons, July 2009".

News by SIR