Tomos of 1923 On the Autonomy of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Estonia

Meletios, by God's grace the Archbishop of Constantinople, the New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch

The Holy Apostolic and Patriarchal Ecumenical Throne of Constantinople is looking after the ecclesiastical state of these Orthodox Churches, which are left without a shepherd.

After the separation of the Orthodox Church of Estonia from the Holy Orthodox Church of Russia (that it was for­merly canonically dependent of) due to new political condi­tions accompanying the gaining of sovereignty by the Repub­lic of Estonia and the ecclesiastical disorder in Russia, as a result of what it applied to the Ecumenical Throne with a let­ter, delivered by the Archbishop of Estonia His Eminence Master Alexander, asking for ecclesiastical protection and se­curity for the permanent canonical organization of the Church and guidance for himself, we and the accompanying eminent metropolitans, meeting this request with love and re­spect and revising it synodally , decided to grant the wish of the Orthodox Church in Estonia and settle this issue accor­ding to canonical practice, taking into account the impossi­bility to settle this issue by the Holy Church of Russia.

Thus, guided by the Holy Spirit, we hereby bless: we know that the His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Master Tikhon has granted Autonomy to the Ortho­dox Church in Estonia, and take into account that the Orthodox people, who live within the borders of the venera­ble Republic of Estonia together with their shepherds, form a unique and single ecclesiastical district, and shall therefore call them from now on the «Orthodox Metropolis of Estonia», whereas the following dispositions shall be imposed on them:

1) The Metropolis, basing on Dogmas, Apostolic Ca­nons and the Canons of Church Councils and the other Ec­clesiastical Dispositions of the One, Holy, Orthodox, Catho­lic and Apostolic Church and maintaining canonical union with the Holy Apostolic Patriarchal Ecumenical Throne, shall be made up of three dioceses: Tallinn ( anc . Reval ) Dio­cese, Saaremaa Diocese and Petseri Diocese, which number may be increased if need should be, or if so decided by the Ecclesiastical Assembly of the Metropolis.

2) The Bishop of Tallinn shall bear the title: Metropo­litan of Tallinn and All Estonia», and preside over the Synod of Bishops, whereas the Synod shall have all the authorities and responsibilities prescribed by sacred canons to the Synod of a local Church and bear liability before the Ecumenical Patriarch and his Synod for the keeping of divine Dogmas and the canonical order into the territory of his jurisdiction.

3) If a Bishop must be ordained or resolutions of dog­matic and canonical nature adopted before the formation of the Synod of Bishops, the Metropolitan or his Locum Tenens shall be entitled, with the knowledge of the Ecumenical Patriarch, to call Bishops from Finland and other Metropoles of the Ecumenical Throne to supplement the complete Synod. Such Synod shall bear liability for its decisions before the Ecumenical Patriarch and his Synod of Metropolitans.

4) The election, ordination and enthronement of the Me­tropolitan and the Bishops shall be carried out in accordance with Sacred Canons and the Statute of the Metropolis; or­ders to be executed: if concerning a Bishop, by the Metropo­litan, and if concerning the Metropolitan, by the Ecumenical Patriarch.

5) The canonical offices of Metropolitan and Bishops shall be lifelong , unless an application for displacement is submitted by them or they are removed due to canonical rea­sons. Bishops, found guilty by the Synod of Bishops, shall be entitled to submit an appellation [ ekktiton *] to the Ecumeni­cal Patriarch, who shall pass the final resolution together with his Synod of Metropolitans.

6) Each Bishop attending his flock shall be attributed the authorities and responsibilities prescribed by Sacred Canons and the Church practice.

7) At Sacraments and ecclesiastical ceremonies the fol­lowing persons shall be commemorated: by Priests and Dea­cons, the local Bishop; by Bishops, the Metropolitan; by Me­tropolitan, the Ecumenical Patriarch, who gives him Sacred Myrrhon and is his communion with all other orthodox Bishops who define rightly the word of Christ Truth.

The Metropolitan and Bishops, together with the clergy and the faithful, shall organise the life of the Estonian Ortho­dox Church in accordance with these dispositions and the ci­vil legal acts of their country provided, that none of those or­ganisation's acts is contradicting with the doctrines and ca­nons of the Holy Orthodox Church as interpreted and ap­plied by the praxis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Exhort paternally the clergy and the faithful as our dear children in Christ, respect own Shepherds and Teachers as mentors and spiritual fathers: «listen and obey them » accord­ing to the epistle of Apostle Paul so that «they could attend their flock diaconia with delight and without sighing».

After discussion, we decided to issue this Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos , approved and signed by the legislative body of our Great Church of Christ and delivered in its original form to His Eminence Master Alexander, the Metropolitan of Tallinn and the All Estonia.

At the Patriarchate, July 1923, Indiction 6.

Signatures:

† MELETIOS, Patriarch of Constantinople

Metropolitans:

† Nicholas of Caesarea

† Gregory of Chalcedon

† Benjamin of Philippopolis

† James of Dyrrhachion

† Callinicus of Cyzicus

† Agathangelus of Neocaesarea

† Joachim of Korytsa

† Joachim of Belgrade

† Basil of Nicaea

† Apostolus of Rhode

† Nicodemus of Varna

† Cyril of Rhodopolis

This document, the Independence Act- Tomos of 1923, formed the basis of the Autonomy of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church; September 23 was declared the Indepen­dence Day of the Estonian Church .