Archbishop Symeon agrees to sign deal regarding St. Catherine’s Monastery
The agreement aims to resolve a long-standing legal dispute over the status of the monastery and its surrounding lands in the Sinai Peninsula.
Key points
- Archbishop Symeon has confirmed his agreement to sign a contract to regulate the legal status of St. Catherine’s Monastery and its surrounding territory.
- The agreement was drafted to clarify the legal status of the monastery and its associated lands and to establish a framework for implementing the judicial ruling.
- Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis described the announcement as a "historic day."
Archbishop Symeon has agreed to sign an agreement to regulate the legal status of St. Catherine’s Monastery and its surrounding lands in the Sinai Peninsula, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and Al Manassa.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received a letter from Archbishop Symeon confirming his agreement to sign the contract. The monastery is ecclesiastically affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Symeon said the agreement would be signed in coordination between the monastic brotherhood and the Egyptian government once his health improves.
Legal Background
The development follows a years-long legal dispute concerning the status of the monastery and its surrounding territory. This dispute involves a lawsuit filed by Egyptian government authorities in 2015 regarding dozens of plots of land, centered on state ownership versus the monastery's rights to possess and utilize the property. In May 2025, the Ismailia Court of Appeals ruled that the monks have the right to use the land they occupy, while affirming that the land remains state-owned public property.
Differing Perspectives
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis described the announcement as a "historic day," stating the agreement "permanently guarantees the monastery’s established religious character and its church property, as well as the monastery’s continuity by granting the monks long-term residence permits."
However, former Archbishop Damianos rejected the settlement as "shameful and unacceptable," according to Al Manassa. Damianos accused Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his foreign minister of exerting "unbearable pressure" on the monastic brotherhood to sign the agreement with the Egyptian state.