The Holy Kinot of Mount Athos spoke out in defense of the status of St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai

The Holy Community of Mount Athos sent an official letter to the newly elected Archbishop of Sinai, Simeon of Faran and Raif, expressing deep concern regarding a possible revision of the legal and property status of the ancient Monastery of St. Catherine. The elders of Mount Athos categorically oppose the idea of introducing a “dual ownership” regime, under which full ownership of the monastery and its property could be transferred to the Egyptian state, leaving the monastic community with only the right of use.

In their appeal at , representatives of twenty Mount Athos monasteries emphasize that ownership and right of use are not identical rights. According to the Holy Kinot, the attempt to change the centuries-old status quo under the pretext of temporary guarantees is a dangerous trend. Mount Athos highlights the historical and spiritual connection between the two largest centers of Eastern monasticism: Sinai is called the “Holy Mountain of the First Millennium,” which makes it an integral part of the Orthodox tradition.

The authors of the letter recall that the autonomous status and privileges of the monastery on Sinai have been respected for sixteen centuries by rulers of various religions and cultures, including during periods of Islamic and Ottoman rule. The Holy Kinot calls for the monastery’s legal status to be preserved unchanged, warning that a violation of the rights of the Sinai monastery would set a dangerous precedent for all the historic Patriarchates and holy sites of the East.