Behind-the-scenes negotiations are reaching a critical stage over a trilateral agreement between Egypt, Greece and the monastic brotherhood of Sinai that would establish the future legal and institutional framework governing the venerable and historic Monastery of St. Catherine.
With Egypt’s Court of Cassation expected to publish its ruling on Oct. 24, the period from Oct. 14-22 is considered decisive by Greek officials.
“After Oct. 22, there is no room for an agreement,” government sources said this week in Athens, openly expressing concern that the prospects for a settlement are dwindling and that the talks could collapse.
Greek officials are nevertheless hoping that Archbishop Symeon of Sinai will have substantially recovered from his illness by Oct. 14, allowing him to participate in the negotiations and restore order within the monastic brotherhood of St. Catherine’s. Government sources describe the community as being in a state of “chaos,” “disorientation” and “unwillingness to cooperate.”
A senior government official has repeatedly conveyed the same message to the monks: “We stand with you, we support you. Help us help you.”
The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece is also understood to share the sense of urgency. According to information available in Athens, it has expressed disappointment over the “conduct of certain individuals” and serious concern about the direction the dispute has taken, warning all parties of the risks involved.
epa01083877 A Bedouin guide makes his way down from Mount Sinai to the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine in Egypt 03 August 2007 which according to Christian tradition is the place where the Prophet Moses saw the Burning Bush s. Over 3,000 rock steps lead down from the 2,285 meter summoit of Moses Mountain where the Prophet Moses according to Christian tradition is the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments. EPA/MIKE NELSON
Diplomatic mission to Jerusalem
Against this increasingly difficult backdrop, Georgios Kalantzis, the foreign ministry’s secretary-general for religious affairs, arrived in Jerusalem late on Thursday on a diplomatic mission.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate, the ecclesiastical authority with a direct supervisory role over the monastery – which is nevertheless located on Egyptian territory – is once again being called upon to help find a solution. It has played a constructive role since the crisis erupted in May 2025 and is now expected to contribute to efforts to resolve the dispute while helping to manage the divisions within the brotherhood.
The extent of those divisions was evident at Thursday’s funeral of one of the community’s oldest monks, held at the monastery’s glebe (estate) in Athens. The current abbot, Archbishop Symeon, was absent, while his predecessor, Elder Archbishop Damianos, attended. Only two members of the monastic brotherhood based in Athens officiated at the service.
According to the Athens daily Ta Nea this week, Symeon’s prolonged illness has further complicated the situation, providing an opportunity for rival ecclesiastical factions to intervene and influence some of the monks.
Diplomatic sources say a further postponement of the court ruling is unlikely. If an extension is granted, they add, it would probably result from direct interstate discussions between Greece and Egypt.
Such talks would serve two purposes: preventing the Sinai dispute from becoming entangled in Greece’s domestic political agenda ahead of parliamentary elections expected in spring 2027, and securing a bilateral agreement that Cairo could consider preferable to a court ruling that might be challenged.
A decade-long legal and diplomatic dispute
The dispute over St. Catherine’s Monastery concerns the ownership and legal status of its extensive properties and has become a diplomatic challenge for Athens and Cairo.
The case dates back to 2015, when the Egyptian government filed a lawsuit seeking control over dozens of land parcels, compensation and rights over areas associated with the monastery.
In 2022, a South Sinai court of first instance ordered the monks’ eviction from certain areas and the demolition of structures. In May 2025, a subsequent ruling by the Ismailia Court of Appeal triggered a diplomatic crisis, amid concerns that the monastery’s longstanding legal and institutional status could be altered.
The decision prompted an immediate reaction from Athens and the Greek Foreign Ministry, which sought to safeguard the monastery’s religious character, its Greek Orthodox identity and the continuity of its operations.
Negotiations have since focused on establishing a legal framework that would regulate the monastery’s future, including the status and use of its properties. Although the two sides have made progress toward an understanding, disagreements over land and the terms of a settlement have persisted, while internal divisions within the brotherhood have added another layer of uncertainty.
St. Catherine’s is the world’s oldest continuously operating monasteries and a major centre of Greek Orthodox Christianity. For Greece, securing its continued religious operation and institutional identity remains a priority within its broader strategic relationship with Egypt.
