Metropolitan Mark Golovkov of Ryazan and Mikhailov, who is now also in charge of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe, the Korsun, Spanish-Portuguese dioceses, and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Italy, supports the Russian authorities' unwillingness to cease the war against Ukraine.
This was reported by Christians Against War.
In his address on October 1, he stated:
“We hear from the country's leadership that peace is only possible when the root causes of the conflict are eliminated. These are truly the right words.”
At the same time, the hierarch of the ROC placed some blame on the Russian people, asserting that misfortunes arise “because of their sins.” He noted that people are preoccupied with entertainment, losing their values, and even resorting to actions such as taking the lives of unborn children, while Russian soldiers continue to die on the front lines. The metropolitan expressed that the Lord is prepared to grant Russia “lasting and indivisible peace,” but this requires repentance and correction.
It should be noted that Metropolitan Nestor Sirotenko, his predecessor, was recently removed from the administration of the Exarchate of Western Europe by Kirill, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. This decision was made in connection with an ecclesiastical trial that began against the metropolitan. The Russian Orthodox Church did not specify the reasons for the charges against Metropolitan Nestor.
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced in the media suggesting that the exarch of the Russian Orthodox Church was dismissed due to a gambling problem, with suspicions that he used church funds to place poker bets.