Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA
On Saturday, March 29, in the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Tirana, Archbishop John (Pelushi) of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania was enthroned following his election on March 16 as the new primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. A video of the entire enthronement ceremony can be watched at https://www.facebook.com/RadioNgjallja/videos/1858940237978503/. It was encouraging to see that all of the Local Orthodox Churches were represented at the enthronement. A description of the enthronement ceremony and the names of the representatives can be read at https://orthodoxalbania.org/2020/2025/03/29/fronezimi-i-kryepiskopit-te-ri-te-shqiperise-fortlumturise-se-tij-z-joan-ne-tirane-29-03-2025/ (official church site); https://orthodoxtimes.com/enthronement-of-the-new-archbishop-of-albania-ioannis-video/ (English article) The Ecumenical Patriarchate was represented by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, and the Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Metropolitan Nestor of Korsun and Western Europe.
The complete text (official English translation) of Archbishop John’s enthronement address can be read at https://orthodoxalbania.org/2020/en/2025/03/29/enthronement-speech-of-the-archbishop-of-tirana-durres-and-all-albania-his-beatitude-john/. In his address, he discussed seven points that should be the “vision, effects, and focus” of the Albanian Church. Briefly, these points are as follows: (1) preserving and protecting the holy Tradition and faithfulness to the teachings of the Lord; (2) strengthening unity within the Church; (3) striving to maintain balance between the Gospel of the Kingdom, which includes pastoral work for the salvation of man and the “Social Gospel,” which includes care for all, especially those who are poor, in need, in sickness, in loneliness and marginalized; (4) teaching that a healthy family is built on the sanctity of marriage and that today’s society needs to rediscover the inalienable values of marriage and family; (5) preserving and strengthening in Albania its great treasure of religious coexistence; (6) encouraging, with love and wisdom, especially young people, to love their country and not abandon it, because it is impossible to love God and not love the country that gave birth to and raised you and the people who live in it; and (7) promoting an Albanian Church that will be friendly and desires to live in peace with everyone and that will strive, within its modest possibilities, to promote and have an active participation, both in the pan-Orthodox dialogue and in dialogue with all others.
After becoming elected, Archbishop John gave his first interview which was to The National Herald. https://www.thenationalherald.com/newly-elected-archbishop-ioannis-of-albania-shares-his-feelings-and-thoughts-in-his-first-interview/ The interview contains some interesting facts. For example, most of the income of the Albanian Church now comes from hydroelectric stations which Archbishop Anastasios had the vision to build. The average monthly income for an Orthodox priest in Albania is approximately 600 euros. Archbishop John was asked if he had an opinion about the division that has been created in the Orthodox Church because of “Autocephaly in Ukraine.” The Archbishop replied that it was a “tragedy” for a lot of churches to be divided. He added: “And I think that our opinion was expressed in the decision of the Synods. So we don’t have other opinions.”
In Estonia, the Legal Affair Committee of the Riigikogu (parliament) adopted certain changes to Bill “570 SE” (“Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act”), and the amended Bill was approved on the second reading by a plenary session of the Riigikogu on March 26. It passed by a vote of 69 to 15. https://www.riigikogu.ee/istungi-ulevaated/riigikogu-vottis-vastu-kuus-seadust-2/ The amended Bill will now be considered by the Riigikogu on the third and final reading on April 9. https://www.riigikogu.ee/tegevus/eelnoud/eelnou/133fc804-5a56-46f8-b595-84cc2a66465f/kirikute-ja-koguduste-seaduse-muutmise-seaduse-eelnou-570-se-ii/ The full text of the amended Bill is available at the foregoing link by clinking on “Draft” by the phrase “Third reading” under the heading “Texts.” It is almost certain that the amended Bill 570 SE will become law. The effect of the new law will be that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate will be required to sever any connection with the Moscow Patriarchate.
In my newsletter of 24 February 2025, I discussed the language found in the first version of 570 SE. See https://www.unifr.ch/orthodoxia/de/dokumentation/anderson/ I have now prepared a new document containing the full text of the amended Bill 570 SE in Estonian and then in English (Google translation). This new document is attached to this email. It is extremely likely that this attached version will be the language of the final law.
The most important provision of the amended Bill is found at page 5 of the attached document. This provision is quoted below. This provision contains an extremely long sentence, and I have separated the parts of this sentence to make it more understandable.
3) Section 3 is supplemented with subsection 21 in the following wording:
“(21) A church, congregation, union of congregations and monastery may not be guided in their activities by a person or association with significant influence located in a foreign country
or be affiliated with a religious association, spiritual centre, governing body or spiritual leader located in a foreign country, by statute, contract, other documents on the basis of which the activities are based, or economically,
if the aforementioned spiritual centre, governing body, spiritual leader, person or association poses a threat to the security of the Estonian state or to the constitutional or public order.
A threat to the security of the Estonian state or to the constitutional or public order may, among other things, occur if the aforementioned spiritual centre, governing body, spiritual leader, person or association supports or has supported military aggression or has called for war, a terrorist offence or otherwise unlawful use of armed force or violence.”;
In my opinion, the foregoing provision does not comply with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”). This Article provides: “Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.” The proposed amendment in bold above does not focus on whether the religious organization in Estonia poses a threat to the “public order,” but rather whether the organization in the foreign countries poses a threat to the public order. To prohibit an Estonian religious organization under Article 9, I believe that one must show that the Estonian organization itself poses a threat.
With respect to Ukraine, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published its 2025 Annual Report on March 25, 2025. https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025%20USCIRF%20Annual%20Report.pdf In regard to Ukrainian Law 3894, the Report states at page 76: Furthermore, the new amendments risk imposing collective punishment on individual members of religious communities. In December, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) criticized the amendments, stating that they established “disproportionate restrictions on the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief.” USCIRF has urged the Ukrainian government to ensure that enforcement of the amendments comply with international human rights standards.
Student-led protests, which began last November, are continuing in Belgrade. https://apnews.com/article/serbia-students-protest-media-corruption-55eb09552cd16059cf12440e50e92a29 The following is a brief article discussing the various positions taken by Patriarch Porfirije on the protests and certain divisions among the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church about the protestors. https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/serbian-church-divided-in-response-to-anti-government-protests/ With respect to divisions, the article refers to a statement by Metropolitan David of Kruševac in which he severely attacks the protestors. This resulted in a letter by six bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church criticizing the statement and distancing themselves “from any speech that dehumanizes others, especially speech that belittles young people, students, as a factor in building society and contributing to its future, or that humiliates them for thinking and seeking the truth.” An English translation of the complete text of the letter by the six bishops can be read at https://serbiantimes.info/en/six-bishops-speak-out-against-offensive-remarks-about-students-metropolitan-davids-text-in-which-he-calls-our-youth-ustase-is-a-shameful-stain-on-the-body-of-the-church/ The six bishops are: Metropolitan Grigorije of Germany, Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Metropolitan Justin of Žiča, Metropolitan Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and the Littoral, Archbishop Maksim of Western America, and Bishop Irinej of Eastern America. Interestingly, five of the six bishops have dioceses in countries other than Serbia. The latest official statement from the Serbian Orthodox Church is an appeal to the faithful by the Holy Synod of Bishops to end division and initiate fraternal dialogue. https://spc.rs/sr/news/aktuelno//13522.poziv-svetog-arhijerejskog-sinoda-na-prestanak-podela-i-pokretanje-bratskog-dijaloga.html (posted March 14, 2025)
Peter Anderson, Seattle USA