Patriarch Kirill sends Metropolitan Ilarion, suspected of drug trafficking, to Brazil

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has assigned Metropolitan Ilarion to serve at the Argentina-South America diocese. The cleric was previously suspected in the Czech Republic in connection with drug trafficking.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has decided to send Metropolitan Ilarion to the Argentina-South America diocese. The decision comes some time after a scandal that erupted in the Czech Republic, where the cleric was suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Metropolitan Ilarion's Czech case drew considerable attention at the time: the cleric was linked to drug trafficking, though specific charges did not result in criminal prosecution. The church has not officially commented on the matter publicly.

Patriarch Kirill's decision to send Ilarion to South America can be interpreted both as removing the cleric from public scrutiny in Europe and as assigning a new mission to a senior member of the Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy. The Argentina-South America diocese covers a broad geographic region where the Russian Orthodox Church maintains several congregations.