Hovorun: The Russian Orthodox Church Is Trying to Regain Influence in the Vatican for the Kremlin’s Interests

Metropolitan Anthony (Sevryuk), head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), recently visited the Vatican and met with the Pope. In this context, former ROC cleric Kirill Hovorun, who has been defrocked, believes that the aim of the visit was to convey the positions of Patriarch Kirill and to restore contacts with the Holy See that were broken after harsh criticism from Pope Francis. He said this in an interview with the Belarusian TV channel «Vot Tak.»

“What the media write is just noise. The real message is an attempt by Kirill to restore relations with the Vatican, which were severed after Pope Francis called him ‘Putin’s altar boy,’” Hovorun stated.

According to him, the visit was also meant to demonstrate to the Russian president that Patriarch Kirill is “capable” of conducting international dialogue. “It’s a continuation of the power struggle between Kirill and Putin,” the former cleric emphasized.

Hovorun also suggested that the ROC may be trying to influence Pope Leo XIV on strategically important issues, particularly in the Global South, where the authority of the Catholic Church remains strong. He pointed out that “religious diplomacy is increasingly being used by the Kremlin to promote its geopolitical interests.”

The former archimandrite expressed concern over the mere fact of the meeting between the ROC representative and the Pope. “Pope Francis at times used rhetoric that sounded ambiguous, especially regarding the war in Ukraine. But Pope Leo has so far shown consistent support for Ukraine. His statements have been balanced, measured, and pro-Ukrainian,” he said.

“The Kremlin opposes the Holy See acting as a mediator in negotiations precisely because of its clear support for Ukraine. Any contact between the Vatican and the ROC is a potential attempt by the Kremlin to change that,” Hovorun concluded.

As a reminder, on July 26, 2025, a meeting took place at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican between the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, and the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV. Among other topics, they discussed the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.