Egypt has offered fresh assurances to Greece regarding the preservation of the Greek Orthodox character of St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, following extensive talks in Cairo on Wednesday.
The move comes after a recent court ruling sparked concerns in Athens, with Greek media describing the optimism regarding the ruling as “cautious.”
Last month, an Ismailia court of appeal ruled that the monks of St. Catherine's Monastery had the right to benefit from the lands they utilize, while reaffirming state ownership of the land as public property. This decision had raised fears among Greek officials that Egyptian authorities intended to seize the historic monastery's lands.
However, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's full commitment to preserving the unique religious status of St. Catherine's Monastery and ensuring its inviolability. In a phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, El-Sisi stressed Egypt's respect for the sacred nature of the site, against the backdrop of the court ruling.
In parallel, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, during a meeting with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis in Cairo on Wednesday, emphasized the importance of not encroaching upon St. Catherine's Monastery and its affiliated archaeological sites, reaffirming its spiritual value and religious standing.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdelatty asserted that the judicial ruling “preserves the spiritual value and high religious standing of the monastery,” and “approved the continued permission for the monastery's monks to benefit from it and the religious and archaeological areas in the region.”
Contrary to media reports, Abdelatty stated that the ruling “clearly affirmed the religious, spiritual, and monastic possession of the monastery and the surrounding lands, representing a significant historical step that confirms the sanctity and religious status of the monastery. It also enables the monastery to continue performing its religious and spiritual functions without any change in the current status.”
Following the ruling, debate arose regarding the continued presence of Greek priests within the monastery, which is ecclesiastically subordinate to the Greek-rooted Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This also extends to the surrounding areas, which are undergoing development as part of a state plan to increase religious tourism to the region.
Commenting on the Cairo visit, Greek website iefimerida reported that Greek diplomacy aims to find the optimal solution for the monastic community without jeopardizing Greek-Egyptian relations.
In Cairo, the Greek delegation underscored the political implications of the matter, and while expressing “absolute respect” for Egyptian justice, highlighted the necessity of incorporating international law considerations due to the monastery's designation as a world heritage site.
The delegation further “strongly requested” the preservation of the status quo, concurrently establishing that President El-Sisi and the Egyptian government demonstrated an “intention and will” to continuously safeguard the monastery's Greek Orthodox character, the website reported.
A high-ranking diplomatic source, unnamed by iefimerida, described the talks as “difficult discussions despite the genuine goodwill of the Egyptians towards the Greek side”. The source expressed “cautious optimism” from Athens, affirming that Greece intends to “fight” for the best possible outcome.
Another Greek website, Capital, suggested that the crisis could be resolved by “Cairo's written recognition to UNESCO of St. Catherine's Monastery's ownership of the buildings and lands.”
Earlier, Independent Arabia quoted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry as saying that reports about the confiscation of the monastery and its affiliated lands were “completely unfounded.”
Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis stated that “Greece will express its official position once the official and full content of the judicial decision is known and studied.”
The historic site holds significant religious and cultural symbolism, housing the relics of Saint Catherine, making it an important pilgrimage destination for Orthodox Christians worldwide, particularly from Greece.
