Public organisations in Spain, France and Germany have spoken out against the appointment of Metropolitan Mark (Golovkov) of the Russian Orthodox Church, known for his pro-war position, as exarch in Western Europe.
Representatives of the associations Russie-Libertés of France, Rusos Libres of Spain and Friede Allen e.V. of Germany published a petition expressing deep concern over the appointment of Metropolitan Mark (Golovkov) to ministry in France.
As is known, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated 12 March 2026, Metropolitan Mark was appointed head of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe, which unites dioceses and parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Andorra, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, France and Switzerland.
According to the authors of the petition, the appointment causes not only moral outrage but also serious public concern because Metropolitan Mark has repeatedly demonstrated public support for the war unleashed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. It is reliably known that he participated in ceremonies blessing military equipment before it was sent to the front.
“Such a practice does not represent a private political position but the systematic use of religious authority to justify aggression and militaristic propaganda,” the petition states.
The public organisations are calling on the French authorities to conduct a legal assessment of the grounds for Metropolitan Mark’s presence in France, with particular attention to possible risks his presence may pose to public order. They also urge the authorities to take into account his role in spreading an ideology that justifies war and provides religious justification for violence when considering the possibility of applying existing restrictive measures.
“We are convinced that Christian witness cannot serve as a cover for war propaganda, and that church ministry cannot be an instrument for justifying violence,” the authors of the appeal emphasise.
Earlier, we wrote that the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church relieved Metropolitan Nestor of Korsun of his duties as Exarch of Western Europe. Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhaylovsk, known for his pro-Putin stance, including support for the war against Ukraine, was appointed in his place.
As LF previously reported, Metropolitan Mark has for several years regularly promoted the supposed necessity of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
According to LF sources, the figure of the new Exarch of Western Europe only heightens concerns regarding the risks associated with the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe.
