The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople called on the Egyptian government and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to “find the appropriate manner to maintain the ownership status quo” of Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, in a statement issued on Friday.
The reaction came a day after the uproar caused by an Egyptian court’s ruling on May 28 that raised concerns the historic religious site might be seized by the state and the monks evicted.
In the statement, the Ecumenical Patriarchate expressed its “painful surprise,” calling on Egyptian authorities to respect the long-standing traditions and adhere to the “agreed terms” to help Saint Catherine’s Monastery continue its religious and cultural mission from the Sinai Peninsula, where God once spoke to humankind”.
“The Ecumenical Patriarchate appeals to the Egyptian Government, especially in light of the recent statements made by the country’s President, His Excellency Mr. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to find an appropriate way to preserve the ownership status (status quo) of the Holy Monastery—an arrangement that has been respected and privileged for centuries, even under Islam—and to implement the recent agreement reached with the Monastery,” the statement reads.
In response to concerns among the global Greek Orthodox community and Athens, the President of Egypt issued a statement late Thursday aiming to ease fears over the status of operations of the 6th-century Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai.
The Mount Sinai Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most significant Christian landmarks in the world. Built between 548 and 565 AD, it holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery.
