It is reported by RIA Novosti.

As Kornev pointed out to the agency, a letter was sent to the Belgorod No. 1 publication about the congress of the Belgorod metropolis in December 2019, during the official part of which the bishop reprimanded the priests for discussing on the Internet the practice of “collecting money from the clergy by the metropolitan when visiting parishes. "

“It was not a question of parishioners, but of intramural requisitions. I asked Vladyka this question before, ”the journalist said.

According to him, he tried to get a comment from the clergy on this issue, but no one answered him in the end. Moreover, later on the website of the Belgorod Metropolis appeared material entitled "Spiritual Warning", which stated that Kornev was seen in collecting information that could be used to "discredit the clergy of the metropolis."

“We remind you that the Church is separate from the state and operates in accordance with its canonical structure, on the basis of which the actions of this blogger can be punished up to excommunication,” the article says.

In June 2019, the Russian Orthodox Church commented on the statement of Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol that baptized people won the Great Patriotic War, and atheists died.