Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria warns of threats to Sinai Monastery rights

The Patriarch warned that the possible transformation of the site into a tourist attraction would be disastrous for the monastery and its preservation as a major sacred site of the Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria said it is shocking that the Sinai Monastery has existed for more than a thousand years, predating the modern Egyptian state and Egypt's present judicial system. He questioned the reasoning and laws used by a court to strip the monastery's brotherhood and the monastery itself of rights over property held for centuries. The Patriarch stated that violations of the rights of sacred sites of the Orthodox Church have always led to harmful consequences.

Regarding his recent visit to King Abdullah of Jordan and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem in the Holy Land, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria said that King Abdullah and the Jordanian authorities continue the tradition of maintaining balance and peaceful coexistence among various religious communities to preserve important sacred sites. He noted that the mission of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is to preserve the sacred sites of the Holy Land and maintain associated monastic and ecclesiastical traditions.

Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria also discussed the growing number of young people turning toward Orthodoxy, especially in Western societies, and emphasized the importance of religious belief in a world of crises and uncertainty. He stressed the importance of unity, unanimity, and consensus among the Orthodox Churches regarding the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the report said.