Estonian Apostolic Church Adopts Revised Julian Calendar

The Estonian Apostolic Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a breakaway from the Estonian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate, has switched from the Julian calendar to the 'revised Julian' calendar. The change will take place in 2012, but will not include parishes near the Russian border that desire to remain on the church calendar. The mainstream Orthodox Church in Estonia remains on the Julian calendar. More (in French) here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Meets with Estonian Apostolic Church Leader

On Bright Saturday, the last day of his visit to Estonia, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk of the Russian Orthodox Church met with Metropolitan Stefanos (Charalambides) of Tallinn of the Estonian Apostolic Church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. During their visit the two metropolitans discussed the ongoing schism within the Orthodox Church in Estonia between the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Estonian Apostolic Church and ways to overcome it. More (in Russian) here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Comments on Estonian Situation

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has expressed his hope that as relations between the Constantinopolitan and Russian Orthodox Churches improve so too will the legal situation of the canonical Orthodox Church in Estonia, the self-governing Tallinn Eparchy of the Moscow Patriarchate. Whereas the estranged Estonian Apostolic Church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate has the right to ownership of the properties it uses for worship, the Eparchy of Tallinn can only rent its worship centers from national and local authorities. More on the situation in Estonia here.

Pictured is the Cathedral of St. Alexander of the Neva in Tallinn, EU, which serves as the seat of the Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia of the Russian Orthodox Church.