Moscow Patriarchate: The Casino Files
Metropolitan Nestor of Korsun and Western Europe dismissed for gambling.
With all the activity this year of Orthodox bishops caught up in various sex and drug scandals, this gem from back in November of 2025, somehow flew under our radar. The story concerns the former MP Metropolitan Nestor.
According to the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), Metropolitan Nestor (Sirotenko), the head of the Russian Church in Western Europe, was removed after reports surfaced that he was a semi-professional poker player.
This decision was made by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who initiated the ecclesiastical process against the hierarch. Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky (Sergey Golovkov) has assumed Nestor’s temporary duties. The exarchate includes dioceses in France, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Monaco, according to moscowtimes.ru.
The Metropolitan has been participating in international poker tournaments under his civil name for many years. His profile is listed in the largest live poker database, and photos taken during competitions have been published on the website PokerNews. According to official data from The Hendon Mob, Nestor’s poker winnings exceed $47,000.
The Supreme Ecclesiastical Court of the Moscow Patriarchate must now investigate the facts, including the possible use of church funds for such purposes. The Apostolic Canons provide for dismissal from office for gambling, and Canon 50 of the Council of Laodicea prohibits clergy from even being present in places where such activity occurs.
For more on this story, visit: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/11/russian-bishop-dismissed-after-alleged-poker-scandal-50021.htm
Also see here: https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2025/11/10/flesh-roial-dlia-ekzarkha
and here: cotidianul.md
While this unfortunate case is yet another disappointment for those that look up to their bishops for moral leadership, on the bright side, at least Metropolitan Nestor wasn’t sexually abusing kids or his cell-attendants. …