The situation at the Holy Monastery of Sinai remains without resolution. The rebel monks refuse to leave and demand to return to the monastery. The Greek government is discreetly monitoring developments. However, as Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis stated in yesterday’s interview, there is a risk of additional problems in achieving the anticipated agreement:
“We are not involved in the internal ecclesiastical matters of the monastery, which we are monitoring closely. They do, of course, carry the risk of further complicating a matter we are trying to manage in cooperation with the authorities of Egypt. I had a productive discussion with my Egyptian counterpart during his visit to Athens regarding securing the rights of Saint Catherine’s Monastery and preserving its character. Anyone can understand the complexity of the issue, given that in 15 centuries of the monastery’s operation there has been no legal framework to safeguard it. As with many other issues, we are attempting to resolve chronic problems that become even more difficult over the years. It is important – and not at all self-evident – that the Greek state is actively participating in this discussion with the Egyptian side,” the head of Greek diplomacy stated yesterday to Real News newspaper.
Sinai Monastery: “Egypt’s deep state benefits from challenging Archbishop Damianos” – The role of the Jerusalem Patriarchate and Moscow
The conflicts and challenging of Archbishop Damianos are causing obstacles and it appears that “Egypt’s deep state, which has an interest in maintaining the dispute, is exploiting them. The ‘rebels’ have not understood that this is a major national issue,” a senior ecclesiastical source close to abbot Damianos tells parapolitika.gr. It is no coincidence that the situation is being exploited to the fullest not only by extreme forces in Egypt, but also by powerful actors who exert influence on developments within the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
These are monks who are aligned with and guided by the Moscow Patriarchate, which seeks to increase its influence on Egyptian territory. According to ecclesiastical sources, the monks (and not only them) who in recent years have been close to Mr. Theophilos appear to seek a role both in the Sinai Monastery and in the Jerusalem Patriarchate itself. As ecclesiastical circles clarify, the only jurisdiction the Jerusalem Patriarch has in the Sinai Monastery is performing the ordination of each new abbot. Patriarch Theophilos’s pursuit in recent years to assume an increased role in the affairs of the Sinai Monastery is evident and has often provoked reactions from the Egyptian government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. We recall that the ‘rebel’ monks sought support from Jerusalem during the operation to depose Mr. Damianos. After days of eloquent silence, the Jerusalem Patriarchate issued a statement yesterday siding with the ‘rebel’ monks: “The Jerusalem Patriarchate fully supports the Sinaitic Brotherhood, recognizing the rights of the Fathers of the Holy Monastery, as these have been secured by its fundamental regulations and preserved in its long-standing monastic tradition. This support is expressed within the framework of the spiritual and canonical jurisdiction exercised by the Jerusalem Patriarchate over the Holy Monastery of Sinai,” the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s announcement notes.
The Phanar, for its part, in the latest session of the Permanent Holy Synod, expressed support for Mr. Damianos and as expected is working toward normalizing the situation.
Archbishop Damianos’s excellent relations with Al-Sisi – He will remain in position until the Sinai Monastery agreement is completed
An important factor playing a catalytic role in consolidating Mr. Damianos’s continued leadership of the Sinai Monastery is the very good personal relations he maintains with Egyptian President Al-Sisi. Few know that when the abbot had a serious accident in Egypt, on Sisi’s orders he was admitted to one of Cairo’s best military hospitals and, as ecclesiastical sources note to parapolitika.gr, he even sent a minister to the hospital to monitor Mr. Damianos’s health progress.
Nevertheless, procedures for concluding an agreement between the Egyptian state and the Sinai Monastery, which would give legal substance to the monastery and determine its property status after centuries of inaction, are underway. Until efforts to achieve an agreement are completed, Archbishop Damianos will remain in his position, despite his initial intention to step down on September 30 and initiate succession planning. His health, as people close to him assure, is very good despite the ordeal he endured in recent days, allowing him to meet the demands of the new circumstances.
