EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). A few weeks ago, at the beginning of the Mt.Sinai crisis, we hinted at the possibility of the Russian Orthodox Church, which already operates an Exarchate in Cairo, wanting to take over the operation of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. Some were “annoyed” by our observation then. But now this possibility returns in the form of rumors around the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which has the spiritual jurisdiction over Sinai, among many other aspects of the crisis analyzed by Maria Antoniadou, one of the most experienced reporters in ecclesiastical matters.
Meanwhile, at the end of this post, we publish a letter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos, affirming to AB Damianos that a committee will be sent to Sinai to attempt a reconciliation: “The Patriarchate of Jerusalem is prepared to initiate the appropriate ecclesiastical procedure. A three-member delegation shall be sent to you so that, in a spirit of truth, reconciliation, and cooperation with the Brotherhood of Sinai, every possible effort may be made toward a desirable and peaceful resolution of the issue that has arisen.”
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Sinai Monastery: Secret elections, rupture with Damianos and war over citizenships – All the behind-the-scenes
By Maria Antoniadou
The 15 “Rebel” Monks Allegedly Conducted Irregular Elections Against Archbishop Damianos – The Patriarchate of Jerusalem Disturbed by Reports of Russian Interference – Citizenship Issues with Egyptian Authorities
Ahead of the Egyptian Foreign Minister’s Wednesday morning visit to Athens, the Greek government is closely monitoring developments at Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, which resembles a powder keg ready to explode.
Uncontrolled Clash Between Monks and Archbishop Damianos
The conflict between the monks residing and living in the historic monastery and Archbishop Damianos has escalated to uncontrollable proportions.
Elections for Key Positions at the Sinai Monastery
According to certain reports, following the “rebellion” of the 15 monks who moved to depose the Archbishop, they have gone as far as to hold elections for key positions in the monastery’s operation—such as those of the Dikaios (monastic leader), the Skevophylax (keeper of sacred vessels), and the Oikonomos (monastic steward).
Schism in Sinai: Damianos Denounces Rebellion, Demands Expulsion of Monks – Letter Sent to the Patriarch
“Tension” in Jerusalem
At the Patriarchate of Jerusalem—which, as the relevant ecclesiastical authority, is called to untangle this Gordian knot—there is notable skepticism. According to associates of Patriarch Theophilos, decisions will be made calmly, and a visit by the head of the Church of Zion to the Monastery is under consideration, after communication with all parties involved.
At the same time, Theophilos’s associates express irritation over suggestions of Russian influence and Moscow’s alleged involvement in decision-making.
Meanwhile, associates of Archbishop Damianos declare that the decisions made by the 15 monks are not legitimate and that the Archbishop is determined to proceed with suspensions and defrockings if necessary.
Potential Appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate
In recent hours, the possibility of appealing to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to address the crisis is being considered.
Legal Status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery and the Egyptian Citizenship Issue
One of the problems facing the monks living at the monastery is that they do not hold Egyptian citizenship—only residence permits.
According to experts familiar with the matter, the only member of the Sinai Brotherhood who holds citizenship is Archbishop Damianos, who communicates with the Egyptian authorities through official documentation and requests the necessary residence permits.
This reality complicates the future presence of the monks at the monastery, with implications for the continuity and legacy of Greek Orthodox monasticism in the region.
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LETTER OF HIS BEATITUDE PATRIARCH THEOPHILOS III TO HIS EMINENCE ARCHBISHOP OF SINAI
Kyrillos Damianos
With spiritual concern and attentive reading, we have received Your Eminence’s letter addressed to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, by which you express your desire that the Patriarchate assume spiritual and canonical responsibility for the management of the pressing issue concerning the ecclesiastical status of the Holy Monastery of Sinai.
This appeal constitutes a clear acknowledgment that, in accordance with the Holy Canons and the unshakable Tradition of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem bears the spiritual and canonical jurisdiction over the Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of Sinai. From this it becomes evident that any honorable reconciliation sought can proceed only through the recognized canonical path and under the pastoral care of the Throne of the Church of Zion.
We value in the Lord this expression of trust and ecclesiastical discernment on your part, and in sincere response to the invitation of Your Eminence, we hereby affirm that the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is prepared to initiate the appropriate ecclesiastical procedure. A three-member delegation shall be sent to you so that, in a spirit of truth, reconciliation, and cooperation with the Brotherhood of Sinai, every possible effort may be made toward a desirable and peaceful resolution of the issue that has arisen.
We have already communicated with Your Eminence by telephone to assure you that we remain watchful and prayerful, that “neither tribulation, nor distress” (Romans 8:35) may overcome you, but that the grace of God may fill and illumine every undertaking.
From the Most Holy and Life-giving Tomb, we pray that the Chief Shepherd Christ may inspire us all towards what is true and good, and that the God-trodden land of Sinai may continue to bear witness to holiness, humility, and a peaceful ascent toward God.
With the Patriarchal blessings and highest regards,
† THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
The allusion about Russian involvement is an interesting angle, but the “Exarchate” has to do with territories belonging to Alexandria, and not Jerusalem. Jerusalem has not recognized Epiphanios of Ukraine, so in theory relations with Moscow have not degraded, and it would be unusual for Moscow to make a “retaliatory move” to “take over” a monastery belonging to a “friendly” Patriarchate (if there is nothing to retaliate against). However, it is true that from the political side, the Russian government could potentially get involved in diffusing the situation. Either way, whenever “one plus one” doesn’t seem to equal “two”, one thing is certain…There has to be a back story that the public is yet to be aware of, that may be able to explain exactly what is going on…should be revealing if we ever find out.
Explanatory Note: In one paragraph, the article may be trying to make an issue out of a non-issue:
It is frequent for the responsibilities (διακονηματα) at a Cenobitic monastery to rotate, year over year, even “key roles” such as the Skeuophylax or Archontaris may be different each ecclesiastical year, (which by the way begins on Sept. 1st, so decisions about rotations around this time of year are not uncommon). There is a strong possibility that these “votes” were on the agenda anyway, and may not be related in any way to the controversial vote in question about removing the Abbott. If they were related, the article by Maria Antoniou has failed to explain exactly “how” they are related.
And for the history of the matter, if someone feels it is controversial that an Abbott of a monastery is “voted out”, how much more controversial was it when Theophilos III himself happened to succeed a Patriarch (Eirinaios) who was “voted out” in Jerusalem a few years ago? Was that case more legitimate than this one? If yes, he will have to explain, perhaps, but again, we don’t know the full back-story. However, Theophilos is certainly in a weakened position to claim that these votes are illegitimate given the history of his own ascent to the Patriarchal throne of Jerusalem…They say that throwing stones in a glass house can cause damage…
Let’s hope some cool heads prevail, because St. Katherine’s monastery with its magnificent history belongs to the entire flock of Orthodox Christians ….not to an Abbott, not to “small group of monks”, and certainly not to a Patriarch, or a Greek, Egyptian, or any other government. (And what does a UNESCO World Heritage site mean anyway?)
They will not intervene. They will not even handle the disaster unfolding in Chicago with the loss of church properties at every turn. First the historic metropolis building, sold for below its value, the metropolis now running out of an industrial like building in a rent free act of charity. Holy trinity the oldest community in Chicago closed. The school too. Now they want to close the camp where our kids learn the faith. That metropolitan will destroy orthodoxy and the Greek community in Chicago. Look at the Jews who invest in their camps and communities and education. They run everything as a community and all support their land. For us, division. Just look at the online post of Ted Poteres on Facebook and the hundreds of comments to see Ben the priests are turning away.