Less than a year has passed since Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai returned to the spotlight following the well-known decisions of the Egyptian government. Newspapers, news broadcasts, and even daytime television programs focused on the future of the Monastery.
At first came the shock over an Egyptian court ruling concerning the confiscation of the Monastery’s property, followed by revelations about plans for the tourist development of the area and large-scale real estate projects.
Internal disputes among members of the Monastery’s brotherhood followed, eventually leading to the election of a new Archbishop. Then came the decision of the Greek government to establish a public legal entity under the name “Greek Orthodox Holy Royal Autonomous Monastery of Saint Catherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai” — after which came… silence.
How many months have passed since then? More than six. And very little information has since become public.
The aim of granting legal entity status to Saint Catherine’s Monastery was to strengthen its legal protection and change the framework through which the Egyptian government approaches the issue.
But is that really the case? Has the Greek government gained an additional argument in its negotiations with Egypt to prevent the Monastery from becoming merely a tourist attraction in the desert?
As anyone following developments in ecclesiastical affairs in recent years can observe, several governments have not hesitated to instrumentalize religion and the role of the Church for geopolitical purposes.
The role of the Patriarchates
The Greek government acted rightly in attempting to strengthen the position of the Ancient Patriarchates (the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch) through the establishment of at least 600 official positions. And, without claiming certainty, one could assume that this was also among the reasons for the visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Athens this week and his meeting with the Prime Minister.
The question, however, is how the staffing of the Ancient Patriarchates through these positions established by the Greek government is progressing, and whether there are any general or specific obstacles delaying the process.
At the same time, the geopolitical situation in the Southeastern Mediterranean should not leave us indifferent or unaware. More attentive observers have noticed the shift in the Egyptian government’s policy and its recent “rapprochement” with Turkey, especially considering that only a few months have passed since the two countries signed an agreement “for closer cooperation.”
The government is aware of these developments, sees them, and monitors them. Have our Patriarchates fully realized the seriousness of the situation so as to set aside petty disputes and work together to safeguard their centuries-old rights and privileges?
“Melchisedek”
