It should be recalled that on July 30, 2025, a group of fifteen monks sent an official appeal to Patriarch Theophilos requesting the removal of Archbishop Damian from his post. The signatories cited a decision of the general assembly and expressed deep dissatisfaction with the abbot’s leadership, particularly in the context of a legislative proposal under discussion in Greece regarding the monastery’s status.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem summoned the abbot of the Sinai Monastery to the Synod
Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos sent a summons to the Synod of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church to the abbot of St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, Archbishop Damian of Sinai. The text states that the reason for the summons was “canonical and other violations,” for which the hierarch is required to provide explanations. This was reported by The Orthodox Times.
«Taking into account the canonical and other violations in which you have been found guilty, and the temptation caused by them both among the fathers of the Holy Monastery of Sinai and in the whole Body of Christ, that is, the Church, I summon you to Jerusalem to appear and give explanations at an extraordinary meeting of the Holy and Most Holy Synod on Monday, September 8 of this year,» — the text of the letter says.
In addition, Patriarch Theophilos demands that the gates of the monastery on Sinai, which have been closed for several days in connection with the conflict that arose between Archbishop Damian and the brethren of the monastery, be opened.
“In order to avoid further temptation and for the sake of appeasing the unjustly expelled fathers from the Holy Monastery, with the help of other measures and interventions, we order you to open the gates of this monastery and immediately remove all persons illegally staying there who are sowing temptation and confusion,” — the First Hierarch added.
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