A historic agreement has been reached on the overall operational status of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai between the Egyptian government and the Sinaite Brotherhood. Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho Symeon, in an official statement sent to Greece’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that he accepts the prospect of signing the agreement, having secured the unanimous support of the Orthodox Churches.
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In his statement, the Archbishop acknowledged the contribution of the Egyptian government — and personally that of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi — as well as the support of the Greek state. A pivotal step was the backing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Churches of Cyprus and Greece. Referring to the stance of these Churches, Archbishop Symeon stressed that “all of the above Churches, having been informed in full detail, welcome — through Patriarchal and Synodal Letters, which have been filed in the Monastery’s archives — and express their wholehearted fraternal support for the signing of the aforementioned agreement.”
The Presidential Decree and the next steps toward the Holy Monastery of Sinai agreement
According to informed sources, a response from the Egyptian state is now awaited; however, those same sources expressed confidence that “it is highly unlikely that anything other than a positive outcome will follow, given that there is now a public statement from the Archbishop.”
It should also be underscored that before the agreement can be signed, a Presidential Decree must first be issued formally recognizing the new Archbishop of Sinai, so that he may receive the legal authority required for any official act, including signing the agreement.
It is worth recalling that the process was set in motion following the ruling of the Court of Appeal of Ismailia on May 28, 2025, which created a new legal framework for the Monastery within Egypt’s judicial order. Subsequently, the Egyptian government submitted a draft agreement to clarify the outstanding legal issues and ensure the uninterrupted continuation of monastic life.
In his statement today, the Archbishop officially announced the decision to move the process forward. “This development certainly gives the Sinaite Brotherhood and myself personally the encouragement to proceed with the signing of the Agreement in the near future, as soon as my health permits, at which point the specific date of signing will be set together with the Fathers and the Egyptian government,” the statement reads.
The pending legal proceedings following the 2025 ruling
Of particular significance is his position regarding the pending proceedings before Egypt’s Supreme Court of Cassation. The Archbishop expressed his certainty that the reaching of this agreement renders a court ruling no longer necessary. As he states, “within this climate of now firmly established trust between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Monastery of Sinai, we are confident that following today’s announcement regarding the aforementioned agreement, there is no longer any reason for the Supreme Court of Cassation of the Arab Republic of Egypt to issue a ruling.”
Following this development, the agreement now moves into the preparation stage for formal signing and implementation, while any remaining outstanding matters will be resolved within the framework of cooperation between the two parties.
