Greek metropolitan sends letter to Egypt in defense of Sinai monastery

St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai. Photo: Romfea.gr

On June 17, 2025, Metropolitan Demetrios of Goumenissa, on behalf of the entire Goumenissa Metropolis of the Church of Greece, sent an official letter to the Embassy of Egypt in Athens, expressing protest over the ongoing pressure on the Saint Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai. The letter was published by the Greek site "Romfea".

In his address, the archbishop emphasizes Greece's long-standing peacekeeping stance in the Middle East and emphasized the exceptional significance of the Sinai Monastery as one of the oldest Christian monastic centers, continuously operating for 1500 years. The letter highlights that the monastery's legal rights have been confirmed not only historically but also by international agreements, including the 2002 UNESCO Convention, in which the monastery is recognized as a world heritage site.

The hierarch is particularly outraged by the lawsuits filed in 2015–2016 by four Egyptian state bodies – the Mayor of the city of St. Catherine, the Governor of South Sinai, the Ministry of Antiquities, and the President of the Environmental Affairs Authority. These instances challenge the monastery's right to own the adjacent territories, despite their centuries-old belonging to the monastery.

Metropolitan Demetrios points out that the Ismailia Court of Appeal, in a recent decision, actually denied the monastery legal and property rights, reducing its presence on Sinai to a "a worshipful breath" without real recognition. "How and how long will they live only with “breath”, when with this three-member Appeals decision, Egypt today considers them legally and property-wise completely non-existent?" asks the bishop.

The address contains an appeal to the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the Egyptian Government:

• to respect the "Ahd-name" of Prophet Muhammad – a document granting the monastery inviolability and protection;
• to comply with the provisions of the UNESCO Convention;
• to confirm the monastery's rights to property and lands that belonged to it long before the formation of the modern Egyptian state;
• to settle the legal status of the brotherhood and grant the monks Egyptian citizenship.

According to the metropolitan, the recent court decisions contradict the previously reached agreements between the Greek and Egyptian sides, including at the level of heads of state. He also noted that the letter expresses the collective voice of the ecclesiastical, municipal, social and cultural organizations of our region..

A copy of the address was sent to Archbishop Damianos of Sinai, with the free use of the present appeal wherever he sees fit.

As reported by the UOJ, the European Parliament will discuss the issue of the safety of the St. Catherine Monastery on Sinai.

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