Sinai Archbishop arrives in Athens to discuss St Catherine’s Monastery fate

Greek flag against the backdrop of Sinai. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On June 17, 2025, Archbishop Damianos of Sinai arrived at the Presidential Palace in Athens. The head of the Church of Sinai is set to discuss the legal status of St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai with the President of Greece, Konstantinos Tasoulas, according to the Orthodoxia News Agency.

The reason for Archbishop Damianos’s visit to Athens is a recent decision by an Egyptian Court of Appeals, which casts doubt on the monastery’s property rights and could have serious implications for its future.

Amid tense negotiations between Greece and Egypt, the Archbishop, as abbot of the ancient monastery, has turned to the head of the Greek state for support. He stressed the importance of protecting this sacred site, which for centuries has symbolized the presence of Orthodoxy on Mount Sinai.

It was noted that the monks of the monastery are working closely with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on issues related to the legal protection of the monastery. The brotherhood has declared its readiness to defend the monastery against any decisions that could hinder its normal life and functioning in the future.

Archbishop Damianos of Sinai also appealed to the Greek people for prayerful and active support of St. Catherine’s Monastery. He has already secured the backing of many Orthodox Churches.

In his public statements, the Archbishop has called on the faithful to pray for the protection of the monastery, which has stood for over fifteen centuries as a living testimony of the Christian faith. He stressed that the struggle must be just and resolute, but not fanatical.

The UOJ previously reported that Archbishop Damianos had called on Greece to defend St. Catherine’s Monastery.

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