The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, has dismissed Metropolitan Nestor Sirotenko from his role as the head of the Exarchate of Western Europe.
As reported by Radio Liberty, the Russian Orthodox Church's press service has announced that an ecclesiastical trial has begun against Metropolitan Nestor, prompting a decision to temporarily transfer his duties to Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk. The specific reasons for the trial have not been disclosed.
The exarchate overseen by Metropolitan Nestor encompasses dioceses in several countries, including France, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Monaco.
According to the Telegram channel Christians Against War, on April 6, 2022, Metropolitan Nestor, as head of the Spanish-Portuguese diocese, signed a statement expressing the "pain and suffering caused to many of our Orthodox brothers, Catholics, and people of all faiths as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine." He stated that "Europe has not faced a catastrophe of this magnitude since World War II."