MEPs are calling on the EU to intervene in the situation surrounding St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai

Four PASOK members of the European Parliament submitted an official request to the European Commission, calling on Brussels to take a clear stance on the legal status and protection of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. According to the Orthodoxia News Agency ( ), the request was sent on the eve of an important court hearing scheduled for August 23 at the Egyptian Court of Appeals.

The parliamentarians emphasize that the situation surrounding the monastery, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a cause for serious concern. In particular, they cite the lack of state recognition of the canonically elected archbishop and abbot, as well as difficulties with the legal registration of the monastery itself as a legal entity. These obstacles prevent the monastery from effectively defending its historical property rights in court.

The MEPs point out that these events are unfolding against the backdrop of a strengthening strategic partnership between the EU and Egypt, as well as the EU’s positive assessments of Cairo’s progress on the rule of law and human rights. MEPs posed a direct question to the Commission: Were the monastery’s problems taken into account when assessing the situation in Egypt and making decisions on the allocation of financial aid?

In their statement, PASOK representatives emphasize that the European Union has a duty to be consistent in defending fundamental rights, religious freedoms, and the world’s cultural heritage. They insist that any partnership with third countries must be based on unconditional respect for these principles, which makes the protection of this historic Christian monument a matter of European responsibility.