Pope says Russian Orthodox patriarch shouldn't act like 'Putin's altar boy'

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill
(Image credit: Photo by Maurix/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Pope Francis said in an interview published Tuesday that he told Patriarch Kirill — the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church — not to "transform himself into Putin's altar boy," CNN reported Wednesday.

Francis told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that he spoke with Kirill via Zoom for around 40 minutes on March 16. "The first 20 minutes he read to me, with a card in hand, all the justifications for war," Francis said.

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.