Will You Commit a National Crime in Sinai, Patriarch Theophilos?

Editorial by Estia Newspaper – August 2, 2025 (link here for the  Greek original)

They challenge Archbishop Damianos at the most critical moment in the history of the Monastery of Saint Catherine—an uncanonical act that undermines the unity of the Brotherhood.

The situation at the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai has escalated beyond a mere ecclesiastical dispute. A group of monks, through uncanonical means, is demanding the removal of Archbishop Damianos. This comes on the same day that the Greek Parliament is scheduled to vote on a bill establishing a Legal Entity of Public Law under the name: “Hellenic Orthodox Holy Royal Autonomous Monastery of the Holy and God-trodden Mount Sinai in Greece.”

Specifically, 15 out of the 26 Sinai monks (many of them from Crete) convened and decided to depose Archbishop Damianos of Sinai—an act that must be ratified by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem. Of note, this movement is spearheaded by a monk named Hesychios, who was previously a Muslim named Mohammed.

Archbishop Damianos has denounced the move as uncanonical, stressing that the required procedure—submission of a relevant petition by two-thirds of the monks—was not followed. In his statement, he emphasizes that such actions “scandalize the faithful people of God, undermine the unity of the Brotherhood, and lead the monastery into a ‘Babylonian captivity.’”

It must be stressed that Archbishop Damianos is one of the few Sinai monks with Egyptian citizenship. As such, he is uniquely positioned to communicate with the Egyptian government—something critical during this sensitive phase concerning the monastery’s future. Therefore, the movement led by Hesychios (formerly Mohammed) is a landmine not just in the effort to preserve the monastery’s status but in preserving the very presence of the Greek Orthodox Church on the God-trodden Mount.

Heavy responsibility now rests on the shoulders of Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, whom the group of monks is urging to validate their action. However, at this critical moment, removing Archbishop Damianos would be a national crime, opening Pandora’s box to unpredictable developments—especially dire for Orthodoxy.

There are even reports of correspondence between the monks and the Patriarch, with the latter allegedly assuring them he would ratify whatever decision they make.

So the question must be asked directly to the Patriarch:

Will you commit a national crime in Sinai, Patriarch Theophilos?
Will you allow the Greeks to be expelled from Sinai, so it may be divided between the Egyptians and the Russians?
Your responsibilities are grave—and historical!

Government sources suspect that the challenge against Archbishop Damianos may be instigated by the Egyptian government (a claim we hope is false), while there are growing indications of possible Russian involvement. Historically, relations between the Greek Orthodox Churches of the Middle East and the Russian Orthodox Church have been competitive—mainly over control of holy sites. Only in recent years have those relations become outright hostile, largely due to recent Greek governments’ confrontational stance with Moscow.

We started with the expulsion of Russian diplomats (under SYRIZA) and escalated to Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s thoughtless declaration that “we are at war with Russia.”

Unfortunately, in politics, every action or inaction has consequences. And the fallout from shortsighted decisions may haunt us for years.

Archbishop Damianos describes the situation in his statement:

“Certain fathers of the Holy Monastery of Sinai ‘moved, deliberated, and plotted not to uphold the tradition, but to conspire to trample upon the Divine and Holy Canons and the Fundamental Rules of the Monastery of Sinai.’

I closed my eyes and ears to their actions so as not to distract us from the greater goal of preserving the age-old status of the Monastery. However, their uncanonical actions now scandalize the faithful, undermine the Brotherhood’s unity, lead the Monastery into ‘Babylonian captivity,’ and—most seriously—aid those who want the Golgotha of the Monastery to never end.

‘Today Judas abandons the Teacher and embraces the devil. Blinded by the passion of greed, the darkened one falls from the light.’

What they do—without fear of God, without shame, without understanding—is a coup against the Church that we will not allow to have disastrous consequences for the integrity and unity of Hellenism, as did past coups.

As their spiritual father, I have a duty to do everything I can to help them realize their error so that they do not become parricides. After prayer, and with unspeakable pain in my heart—with a trembling hand, not from 91 years of earthly life but from the burden of responsibility for the Monastery’s future—I must act in accordance with the Divine and Holy Canons in a corrective spirit, so they may have a chance to repent. Then, together, united and free from vain egotism, we may save the Holy Monastery.

Let us all be inspired by the unity shown across the Greek Parliament in these days for the salvation of the Monastery of Sinai.

I bless all and pray that the grace of Saint Catherine and of the God-trodden Mount Sinai may protect our homeland and each and every one of us.”