Ecumenical Patriarchate: The Ages Respected the Monastery of Sinai – Let Egypt Do the Same

The Ecumenical Patriarchate expresses disappointment and sorrow over an Egyptian court decision that questions the centuries-old ownership status of the historic Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai, limiting the monks’ rights to mere usage. In a written statement, the Ecumenical Patriarchate appeals to the Egyptian government to find a way to preserve the ownership status of the monastery and implement the recently achieved agreement. It reminds that this ownership status has been particularly respected and safeguarded for centuries, even by Islam. “The ages have respected the Monastery of Sinai. Let Egypt respect it today as well,” emphasizes the statement. The monastery is described as a precious treasure for the land of the Nile, honoring it and symbolically connecting the two great religions of Christianity and Islam on its soil. The full announcement highlights the dismay and distress felt by the Orthodox Church regarding the decision and calls for respecting long-standing agreements to allow the monastery to continue its religious and cultural mission in Sinai, where God once spoke to humanity.