Monks of the Sinai Monastery Demand the Removal of Archbishop Damian

On July 30, 2025, a group of fifteen monks sent an official appeal to Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem requesting the removal of Archbishop Damian from his position. The initiators of the letter referred to the decision of the monastery’s general assembly and expressed deep dissatisfaction with the abbot’s actions, particularly in the context of the bill being discussed in Greece regarding the monastery’s status. This was reported by the Orthodoxia News Agency.

The conflict arose from a draft law currently under consideration in the Greek Parliament, which provides for the recognition of the Sinai Monastery’s legal personality within Greece. This legislation caused disagreement among the monastic brotherhood, as some monks believe the archbishop is acting against canonical norms and without sufficient support from the community.

Archbishop Damian categorically rejected the accusations. In a public statement, he called the monks’ initiative “uncanonical,” pointing out that it does not comply with the monastery’s charter — specifically, the absence of support from two-thirds of the brotherhood as required by Article 12 of the internal regulations. He accused his opponents of “attempting to destroy the foundations of monastic life” and compared the situation to a “Babylonian captivity.”

There has been no official response yet from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It is known that the Patriarch holds the canonical authority to make final decisions regarding the appointment or removal of archbishops of the Sinai Church, which is autonomous but under the jurisdiction of Jerusalem.

It should be noted that Archbishop Damian, the abbot of the Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, welcomed the passage of the bill by the Greek Parliament, which grants official legal status to the Sinai Monastery’s representation in Greece. He called it a long-overdue historic moment: “This bill should have been passed many years ago… Until now, the monastery has been practically left hanging in the air,” the archbishop emphasized.