By Efi Efthymiou
Rapid and troubling developments have emerged regarding the case of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai.
Late last night, Archbishop Damianos of Sinai issued a statement revealing that he had gone to the monastery in the afternoon “with the purpose of reconciliation and dialogue with the small group of rebellious monks, armed with patience and paternal love.”
According to Archbishop Damianos, the monks had planned to hold an assembly without his approval, intending to amend the monastery’s governing regulations.
He further stated that the monks attacked him, while those who “did not participate in the coup” defended him and forced the “insurgent monks” out of the monastery.
Following this incident, a general assembly was held with the monks who remained in the monastery, and a new Synaxis was elected, consisting of Porphyrios Kanavakis as Dikaios (Head of the Monastery), Akakios Spanos as Skeuophylax (sacristan), and Ephraim Provatas as Oikonomos (Monastery Administrator).
What the expelled monks say
A completely different picture is presented by the monks who were left outside the Monastery following Tuesday night’s events.
According to their statement posted online, the Archbishop of Sinai appeared at the Monastery after a long absence, “accompanied by about ten bodyguards,” and together they entered the Monastery.
They also released a video of the previous night’s events, claiming that “the bodyguards, led by Fr. Akakios, who guided them from cell to cell, forcibly dragged the fathers out of their cells one by one.
One of the Fathers managed to film a video outside the cell of Fr. Alexios, who resisted as much as he could but eventually failed. In the cells where the monks refused to open the door, the intruders broke it down and forcibly removed them.
What the bishop claimed in his letter last night about being assaulted by the monks is a blatant lie, because the monks never even saw him. He sat in his office and watched the drama unfold.
The intruders, together with the bishop’s group, locked the gate and stayed inside the Monastery all night. They left the monks outside the walls, where they were forced to spend the night. There were twelve Fathers who were expelled. All this happened despite the fact that Egyptian police and security forces arrived outside the Monastery and persistently asked the intruders to open the gates,” the statement says.
Who is to blame?
Many questions arise. Above all: who benefits from this image of turmoil at perhaps the most famous Orthodox monastery in the world? Who could possibly want such unrest?
This entire affair does Orthodoxy no good, with abbots and monks accusing one another of assaults and of hiring bodyguards.
Should Archbishop Damianos of Sinai step down from his position? The reasonable,and perhaps obvious, answer is yes. He has served the Monastery for over 50 years and is now over 90 years old.
It is time to make room for the next Abbot, whoever that may be. It is also necessary to examine the role of “Mrs. Katerina,” a laywoman who resides at the Monastery by Archbishop Damianos’s side.
The same should be considered for many hierarchs in the Church of Greece whose age and health no longer allow them to shepherd their dioceses with strength and determination.
However, Archbishop Damianos should not be removed in this way, he should not be “forced out.” The Monastery has its own canonical framework; its statutes outline exactly how such matters should be handled.
He himself should understand that it is time to step down, and the brotherhood should wait for this to happen with obedience and patience, with both sides fully aware of their roles and of the sacred ground on which they stand.
