{"id":23217,"date":"2026-10-09T09:52:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T09:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/09\/sinai-monastery-faces-a-make-or-break-week-before-egypt-court-ruling-greek-city-times\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T09:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T09:52:10","slug":"sinai-monastery-faces-a-make-or-break-week-before-egypt-court-ruling-greek-city-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/09\/sinai-monastery-faces-a-make-or-break-week-before-egypt-court-ruling-greek-city-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Sinai monastery faces a make-or-break week before Egypt court ruling \u2013 Greek City Times"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Talks on a trilateral deal between Egypt, Greece and the Sinai monastic brotherhood are reaching a climax, with Egypt\u2019s Court of Cassation due to publish its ruling on St. Catherine\u2019s Monastery on 24 October.<\/h3>\n

Greek officials see 14\u201322 October as the decisive window and have taken to calling it \u201chell week.\u201d \u201cAfter 22 October, there is no room for an agreement,\u201d government sources say. They are worried the prospects are fading and that a collapse of the talks is becoming more likely.<\/p>\n

They hope that by 14 October Archbishop Symeon of Sinai will have largely recovered from 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 official has repeatedly told the monks: \u201cWe stand with you, we support you. Help us help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Church of Greece is believed to share that urgency. It has reportedly voiced disappointment at \u201cthe conduct of certain individuals\u201d and serious concern about the direction of the case.<\/p>\n

Jerusalem asked to restore order<\/h3>\n

Against that backdrop, Secretary General for Religious Affairs Georgios Kalantzis arrived in Jerusalem late on 8 October. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the ecclesiastical authority over 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 in the divided brotherhood.<\/p>\n

That division was on display at the funeral in Athens of one of the brotherhood\u2019s oldest monks. Archbishop Symeon did not attend. His predecessor, Damianos, did, and only two members of the Athens brotherhood joined the service. Symeon\u2019s illness has compounded the problem and opened the door for rival church factions to sway some of the monks.<\/p>\n

Little room for delay<\/h3>\n

Diplomatic sources say a further extension is unlikely. If one does happen, it would come from direct talks between Athens and Cairo, with two aims: to keep Sinai 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 to a court ruling open to challenge.<\/p>\n

The dispute dates to 2015, when the Egyptian government sued the monastery, claiming dozens of land parcels, compensation and control of its grounds. In 2022 a South Sinai court of first instance ordered the monks evicted from certain areas and some buildings demolished. In May 2025 a ruling by the Ismailia Court of Appeal set off a diplomatic standoff amid reports that the monastery\u2019s status could be changed. Athens and the Greek foreign ministry reacted immediately.<\/p>\n

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