Archbishop Symeon to sign agreement regarding Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt

On October 24, 2026, Archbishop Symeon announced his intention to sign an agreement with the Egyptian state concerning the legal and proprietary status of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine on the Sinai Peninsula. This decision aims to resolve long-standing diplomatic and judicial uncertainty surrounding the 6th-century monument, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002.

The initiative follows a complex legal dispute initiated by a ruling from the Ismailia Court of Appeal on May 28, 2025, which impacted the monastery’s property status and land usage rights. Archbishop Symeon stated that the agreement has secured the unanimous support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Alexandria, and the Churches of Greece and Cyprus. The signing is expected to proceed once the Archbishop’s health permits, as a crucial deadline for a pending decision by the Supreme Court of Egypt approaches.

While the monastery is a significant center for Orthodox Christianity housing rare Byzantine manuscripts, the pending agreement is intended to clarify the terms of land ownership and usage beyond the continued operation of religious services. The final, binding terms of the agreement have not yet been publicly disclosed.