Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis expressed hope for a swift final agreement that will resolve a long-standing issue in the best interests of the Sinai Monastery, along with his satisfaction regarding progress in negotiations with the Egyptian government about the monastery’s status. He spoke at the Throne Hall of the Jerusalem Patriarchate before Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and the newly ordained Archbishop of Sinai Monastery, Symeon.
Specifically, Minister Gerapetritis, speaking before Egyptian Ambassador Ihab Soliman, stated: “I am pleased to confirm that this cooperation with the Egyptian government is progressing satisfactorily and we have already reached a preliminary mutual understanding. The final decision of course belongs to the Sinai Brotherhood, alongside which Greece is ready to continue standing with determination and confidence. We hope soon to have an agreement that will resolve a long-standing, age-old issue in the best interests of the Monastery for the benefit of universal cultural heritage.”
Gerapetritis at Archbishop Symeon’s ordination ceremony
Minister Gerapetritis, who attended the ordination ceremony of Archbishop Symeon by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, alongside the Secretary General for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education Giorgos Kalatzis, Greece’s Consul General in Jerusalem D. Angelosopoulos and MP Michalis Charakopoulos (New Democracy), as well as numerous representatives from various states, bishops and faithful, emphasized that his participation in “this historic event” was a privilege. “The ordination of the new Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho, the already elected Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, Symeon.”
As he said, “there is always great emotional charge when such an event takes place in this holy land, in Jerusalem, in the revered Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, like the Jerusalem Patriarchate, constitute beacons of spirituality with worldwide influence. They are also among the most important guardians of a tradition precious to the history, heritage, and spiritual identity of Greece and all of Hellenism.”
As the Foreign Minister added, “the sight of the blue and white flag even in the middle of the desert, here in the Holy Places, of which Sinai is an inseparable part, is enough to remind us of the unbreakable bond with Hellenism. It is therefore natural that Greece remains committed to its will to provide Mount Sinai Monastery with every support to strengthen its position and high mission.
The state has worked systematically towards this goal. Recently, in fact, intensively. It will continue to do so with dedication and offer not only assistance but also cooperation with wholehearted willingness for mutual understanding and simultaneously with absolute respect for ecclesiastical institutions and with trust in their own decisions according to canonical order.”
In this spirit, he renewed “the assurance that the Hellenic Republic remains unwaveringly committed to close cooperation with the Jerusalem Patriarchate and to providing it with strong support in all fields. For Greece, defending the rights and privileges of the Patriarchate and more broadly safeguarding the Christian presence and heritage in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East constitute the highest priority. A priority that concerns all of Hellenism. Within and beyond Greek borders. Its historical course and its spiritual constitution, and therefore its very future.”
The announcement of the new Archbishop of Sinai’s election
Yesterday Saturday, under the joyful sound of bells from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in a truly historic ceremony, the like of which had not occurred in the last 52 years, a festive Vespers was celebrated at the monastic and patriarchal Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, presided over by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. After the end of Vespers and the departure of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, according to ecclesiastical custom, the Secretary of the Holy Synod, Christodoulos, read the minutes of the election of the elected Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho, Archimandrite Symeon, and subsequently, according to established order, the synodical members co-signed the Code of Election Records.
According to the custom of the Church of Jerusalem, the Elder Dragoman of the Patriarchate, Archimandrite Matthias, accompanied by the Kavases, the official mace-bearers of the Patriarchate during patriarchal ceremonies, along with the two Paranymph Archimandrites, Elder Kamaras Archimandrite Nektarios and Exarch of Athens Archimandrite Hieronymos, proceeded to the cell where Archimandrite Symeon was staying. There the so-called “Small Message” was announced, which he accepted with gratitude. Subsequently, at the Patriarchal Chapel of Constantine and Helen, the service of the so-called “Great Message” was performed, that is, the official acceptance of the election. In a simple but particularly moving ceremony, accompanied by chanting of Pentecost hymns, the Secretary of the Holy Synod read aloud to all the signed minutes of the election, and the elected Symeon responded by officially accepting his election as Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho. After the end of the service, all the Synodical members, the elected, members of the Holy Sepulchre and Sinai Brotherhoods and many pilgrims processed into the Throne Hall, where his handwritten inscription in the Code of Records of the Jerusalem Patriarchate was read, which he signed, thus sealing a historic and utterly distinguished moment in the history of the Church of Jerusalem.
Immediately after the ceremony, responding to questions from the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the elected Archbishop Symeon expressed hope that the problems, internal and external, that troubled the Monastery in the previous period would be overcome. He also appealed for the arrival of new people, new fathers, as fresh blood is necessary for the Monastery, as he characteristically said. Responding to a question about taking the reins of Sinai Monastery after a troubled period in its history, Archbishop Symeon emphasized, among other things, that “it was indeed a troubled time, but we do not face this with disappointment or lack of hope, because the history of Sinai has had its difficulties from time to time, but with God’s power and the intercession of the Sinai saints, it was usual for crises to gradually end and a new era to come.”
As he added, “We want to believe, because if we don’t have this hope we cannot be faithful disciples of Christ, that both our internal issue, which has already begun to improve – after all, the unanimous election of my unworthiness showed this, and the other basic external issues of the Monastery will have a happy outcome. We believe that even if they don’t achieve perfect results, because perfection doesn’t exist in human affairs, they will be as good as possible. After all, a down-to-earth view on many issues, which I like to repeat, is the phrase of a blessed Bishop, that it is very important to extract the best possible results from the worst conditions.”
Responding to a question about his expectations for the next day of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, its new leader said, among other things, that “the first expectation, internally, is to restore the unity of the fathers. Since we’re talking about the fathers, the other hope is that with the end of the issues and difficulties, we will have a beginning of the arrival of new people and new fathers, because new blood is necessary for the Monastery. As the presence of monks increases and the function of the Monastery becomes more normal, everyone’s respect for the monastery increases. Because many problems perhaps arose from the internal disorder of the Monastery. (…) What needs to be done and what should happen is what our Church asks, that is, with patience, in prayer, in hope, one should do their duty.”
