18+: Hilarion, head of Russian Orthodoxy in Hungary, accused of sexual misconduct

Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Hungarian Orthodox Church, is a significant figure in Russian-Hungarian church relations, evidenced by his gaining Hungarian citizenship only a few weeks after his arrival in the country. According to a young man who has worked and lived with him, his luxury villa near Budapest has hosted Russian oligarchs and important figures from Hungarian public life alike in recent years. Now, the same man is accusing the leader of sexual abuse.

Metropolitan Hilarion, the right-hand man of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and formerly the second-in-command of the Russian Orthodox Church, has been accused of sexual misconduct, HVG reports. In an interview with the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, his former subordinate revealed details about his dealings in Hungary, including that he lives in a €2.15 million villa and that he has been granted citizenship here.

Who is Metropolitan Hilarion and why did he come to Hungary?

Hilarion (whose secular name is Grigory Valerievich Alfeyev) was long considered the right-hand man of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, seen as his potential successor and the second most powerful leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, in 2022, he was suddenly relieved of several of his posts and sent to Hungary without any official explanation. Here, he was appointed Metropolitan of Hungary, becoming the head of the diocese in the country.

At the time, HVG reported that Hilarion was

“not denied a visa by the Hungarian authorities for political reasons, despite having links to Russian security services. According to [a publication that] specialises in intelligence, he was sent to Hungary because [here] he would be protected from Western European sanctions.”

Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén (right) receives Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, head of the Office for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, 7 September 2021. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnökség/Botár Gergely

Georgy Suzuki, then 18 years old, first met Hilarion in 2022 through correspondence and then accompanied him to Hungary as a clergyman. A few weeks later, the metropolitan asked him to move in with him to help with the housework, to which Suzuki agreed.

According to Suzuki, Hilarion forced him to share a room and a bed, in which he had to lie naked. Although they did not have sex, Hilarion had on multiple occasions spent the night in his bed. When Suzuki said that he wanted to leave, the metropolitan threatened that if he did anything, he would get hurt. Suzuki made audio recordings of these events, which he sent to Novaya Gazeta.

In January, Suzuki fled and is now living in Japan. In April, the the Hungarian press reported that Suzuki had stolen large amounts of cash and other valuables from the Hungarian Orthodox Diocese building in Budapest. The man is still wanted by the police for the theft.

The Patriarch’s right-hand man is now a Hungarian citizen?

Hilarion is an important mediator between the Western and Russian Orthodox Churches and has connections to Hungarian politicians too, HVG writes. This is evidenced by the fact that in 2019, he was awarded the Central Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit by Zsolt Semjén, and in 2023, he met Pope Francis during his visit to Hungary. Moreover, according to photos provided by Suzuki, Hilarion received Hungarian citizenship and a passport shortly after his arrival in the country.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán meets Metropolitan Hilarion at the Carmelite Monastery on 6 September 2019.
Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office

According to Suzuki, Hilarion lived a luxurious life in the country, and they went skiing and sailing together on several occasions, as well as on multiple yachting trips. Suzuki shared photos of these trips with the newspaper.

Hilarion also bought a luxurious home of more than 2,000 square metres on the outskirts of Budapest for €2.15 million. HVG identified the property in the photos of Suzuki as the Castle of Vácduka. The newspaper also published the floor plan of the mansion, showing that it has 14 rooms, a wine cellar, a swimming pool, and a garage for six c

In one of the audio recordings, Hilarion told Suzuki that he had run out of money after buying the mansion, so he had to sell his expensive wine collection for €15,000 to furnish his new residence. However, he kept a few bottles and a watch collection.

“I thought, if I had to give a gift to somebody, I don’t know, like Viktor Orbán or somebody, what would I give?”

says Hilarion in one audio recording.

It is alleged that, although the paper did not name names other than Zsolt Semjén, several high-ranking Hungarian public figures have visited Hilarion at his villa. And, according to the report by Novaya Gazeta, Russian oligarchs, including Russian billionaires hit by EU sanctions, were present at the Vácduka mansion too.

When asked by Novaya Gazeta, Hilarion did not deny that he owned a property in Budapest. He claimed that he bought the house with the royalties he received for his books and that he intended to use the property as a monastery. As for Suzuki’s accusations, Hilarion stated that the young man was incited by his mother to try to blackmail him, that the accusations were unfounded, and that he would sue.

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Source: HVG