On the occasion of the recent judicial decision by the Egyptian authorities concerning the ownership status of the historic Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr at Sinai, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria sent a letter of support to the Abbot and the monastic brotherhood of the Monastery.
In his letter, he expresses deep concern and prayerful solidarity with the brothers of Sinai, emphasizing the inestimable spiritual, historical, and cultural significance of the Monastery for the entire Orthodox Church. The letter clearly underscores the inviolability of monastic property and affirms the brotherhood’s right to independently manage the Monastery’s sacred treasures and estate.
The full text of the Patriarch’s letter follows:
Your Eminence,
With particular concern and heartfelt sympathy, we have been following the events of recent days in connection with the recent ruling of the Egyptian court. With its uninterrupted monastic tradition spanning over 1,500 years, the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr at Sinai is a sacred site of immense historical weight and of inestimable importance for the entirety of the Orthodox Church.
The ties between our Bulgarian people and the Holy Monastery of Sinai are especially significant, as the Monastery preserves several dozen unique Old Bulgarian manuscripts. Over the centuries, the Monastery of Saint Catherine has been a cherished place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians from Bulgaria.
We wish to express our warm, brotherly, and prayerful support to you and to the entire monastic brotherhood of the ancient Holy Monastery of Sinai in these trying times. The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine is a place of spiritual struggle and devotion for its monks and must in no way be regarded as a museum or state property.
We unequivocally affirm our unwavering support for the right of ownership of the Monastery over all immovable and movable property, which has always belonged and continues to belong exclusively to its monastic brotherhood. The inviolability of ecclesiastical property — and, in particular, of monastic property — is a fundamental principle that proceeds from the sacred canons of the Church, is enshrined in ancient imperial law, and is safeguarded by modern democratic legal systems.
The monastic brotherhood is the sole steward of the property of the Holy Monastery. It is their home, a place of repentance and of lifelong dedication.
We fervently pray that our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, through the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos, of Saint Catherine the Great Martyr, and of all the saints who have shone forth on the Sinai Peninsula, may preserve His holy Monastery from the assaults of the evil one and protect its monastic brotherhood!
We commend ourselves to Your Eminence’s holy prayers and remain, with love in Christ,
† DANIEL,
Patriarch of Bulgaria
