Behind-the-scenes negotiations are reaching a climax over a trilateral agreement between Egypt, Greece, and the Sinai monastic brotherhood that would set the future legal and institutional framework for St. Catherine’s Monastery. With Egypt’s Court of Cassation due to publish its ruling on October 24, Greek officials see the October 14–22 window as decisive and have taken to calling it “hell week.”
“After October 22, there is no room for an agreement,” government sources say flatly. They are openly worried that the prospects are fading and that a collapse of the talks is becoming increasingly likely. They hope that by October 14, Archbishop Symeon of Sinai will have largely recovered from his illness and can take part in the process and rein in the brotherhood, which the same sources describe as chaotic, disoriented, and unwilling to cooperate. A senior government official has repeatedly sent the monks the same message: “We stand with you, we support you. Help us help you.”
The Church of Greece is believed to share that sense of urgency. It has reportedly voiced disappointment at “the conduct of certain individuals” and serious concern about the direction of the case, warning all sides of the risks.
Against this bleak backdrop, Secretary General for Religious Affairs Georgios Kalantzis arrived in Jerusalem late last night, October 8. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the ecclesiastical authority directly overseeing the monastery, has played a constructive role since the crisis erupted in May 2025. It is again being asked to help broker a solution and, above all, to restore order within the divided brotherhood.
The depth of that division was on display at yesterday’s funeral of one of the brotherhood’s oldest monks, held at the monastery’s dependency in Athens. The current abbot, Archbishop Symeon, did not attend. His predecessor, Damianos, did, and only two members of the Athens brotherhood joined in the service. Symeon’s prolonged illness has compounded the problem and opened the door for rival church factions to step in and sway some of the monks.
Diplomatic sources say a further extension is unlikely. If one does happen, it will come out of direct talks between Athens and Cairo with two aims: to keep the Sinai issue from becoming entangled in Greek domestic politics ahead of elections expected in spring 2027, and to secure an interstate agreement, which Egypt would also prefer over a court ruling open to challenge.
The dispute dates back to 2015, when the Egyptian government sued the monastery, claiming dozens of land parcels, compensation, and control over its grounds. In 2022, a South Sinai court of first instance ordered the monks evicted from certain areas and some buildings demolished. Then, in May 2025, a ruling by the Ismailia Court of Appeal set off a diplomatic standoff amid reports that the monastery’s status could be changed. Athens and the Greek Foreign Ministry reacted immediately.
