The new abbot of the monastery in Sinai apologized and promised to restore order

The newly elected abbot of St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, Father Simeon, has issued a public apology for the recent unrest at the ancient Orthodox monastery, promising to restore normal activities and reunite the monastic community. This is reported by OrthoChristian.com.

Hegumen Simeon, who was unanimously elected on September 14 to replace Archbishop Damian, who led the monastery for more than fifty years, described his main task as “the restoration of normal order in the monastery and in the brotherhood, as well as the desired reunification.” “I ask public forgiveness from the bottom of my heart if we have scandalized public opinion and the church community, willingly or unwittingly,” he said in an interview with the Greek newspaper Vima Orthodoxias.

Citing the writings of St. John of the Ladder, the new rector noted that “practitioners of holiness are not infallible,” which shows the Church’s deep understanding of human nature. Father Simeon listed as his first priority “the resolution of many minor internal issues,” after which he will travel to Greece to prepare for his ordination as a bishop, to be celebrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem in October.

Referring to the development of tourism around Sinai, the Abbot recognized the significant changes that have taken place since the 1980s and expressed hope for cooperation with the Egyptian and Greek authorities. He emphasized, however, that the monastery always follows the principle of “obeying God rather than men” when the faith is in danger. “The door is open to everyone,” he concluded, ” whether they are pilgrims who come to this God-forsaken mountain or connoisseurs of its historical treasures.

Recall, September 14, 2025 in the Monastery of St. Catherine the Great Martyr on Mount Sinai held elections for a new abbot of the monastery. Archimandrite Simeon Papadopoulos, head of the Sinai Metochion in Alepochora, became the new abbot.