Greece has hailed a historic agreement between Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai and the Egyptian state, securing the monastery’s legal status, preserving its religious character and supporting the continuity of its monastic community.
The agreement establishes a firm legal foundation for the Orthodox monastery after 1,500 years of uncertainty and an unresolved legal framework. It guarantees the preservation of the monastery’s religious character and ecclesiastical properties in perpetuity, while providing monks with long-term residence permits to ensure the community’s continued presence.
The Greek government thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for personally intervening to make the agreement possible, as well as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, with whom Greece maintains a relationship of deep mutual respect and trust.
The agreement reflects the depth of the strategic partnership and fraternal ties between Greece and Egypt, which extend across all areas of cooperation, according to the Greek government.
The agreement also sends a message of unity across the Orthodox Church. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Church of Cyprus and the Church of Greece all embraced and supported the accord.
At a time of profound global change and uncertainty, the Greek government said, the Orthodox faith remains united and represents an important legacy for the future of Hellenism.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the historic Orthodox Patriarchates and Saint Catherine’s Monastery, emphasising practical action over rhetoric.
It said its efforts aim to overcome centuries of inertia, adding that responsibility and seriousness define the Greek state’s approach.
(Source: AMNA)
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