Egypt and Sinai monastery discuss dual-ownership formula

St. Catherine’s Monastery on Sinai. Photo: orthodoxianewsagency.gr

Egypt’s Supreme Court has postponed announcing its decision on appeals against the May 29, 2025 ruling of the Ismailia Court of Appeal concerning the future of St. Catherine’s Monastery on Sinai, as the parties are preparing a dual-ownership agreement. The Greek Orthodoxia agency reported this, citing negotiating sources in Athens.

Church and diplomatic sources say the proposed arrangement involves a “dual property status.” The Sinai brotherhood would receive an indefinite and absolute right of religious possession, use, and worship over the monastery’s movable and immovable property, but without the right to transfer, alter, or commercially exploit the historic buildings and Byzantine treasures. Egypt’s antiquities authority would have a say in matters concerning the monuments.

Lawyers are avoiding the term “exclusive ownership” in favor of more flexible language – effectively a form of conditional lifetime use for the brotherhood, while Egypt retains bare legal title. At the same time, the brotherhood is seeking to include as many dependencies, cells, and gardens as possible in the agreement, since these have supported the monastery for centuries.

A presidential decree recognizing Archbishop Symeon of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho as the monastery’s lawful abbot is expected to accompany the agreement. This would pave the way for him to obtain Egyptian citizenship and signing authority, and would also allow the agreement to be submitted for approval by the brotherhood’s general assembly. The citizenship and legal status of the monastery’s other residents are also expected to be settled.

As the UOJ reported, an Egyptian court had previously postponed a decision concerning St. Catherine’s Monastery on Sinai.

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