“Holy Mutiny” in Sinai Monastery: Monks attempt to depose Archbishop Damianos

A “Holy Mutiny” launched by the monks of the historic St. Catherine monastery in Sinai has been taken place in the last hours and the monks attempting to depose Archbishop Damianos from his position as the abbot.

The monks have announced their decision to remove the Archbishop from the position of the Abbot in a letter to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and are waiting for its ratification, Greek media report on Thursday.

The historic Mount Sinai seems to have entered a deep crisis, with Archbishop Damianos denouncing an attempt by a group of monks to depose him and speaking of “un-canonical actions” that “scandalize the people of God” and threaten the cohesion of the brotherhood.

In an angry reaction, the Archbishop of Mount Sinai, issued on Tuesday evening, July 29, a statement and described the monks’ move as a “Babylonian captivity” to which the monastery is being led due to the movements that attempt to remove him from the abbotship.

The unrest in the Monastery seems to be linked to the upcoming agreement between Greece and Egypt to resolve the institutional vacuum caused by an decision by an Egyptian court in May to seize the historic monastery and integrate it into a multi-million touristic project in the area of Sinai. The decision stirred the spirits in the Greek Orthodox Christian community. It also angered Athens at highest level  as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had recently reassured Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that the Monastery was not in danger.

The monks’ “mutiny” coincides with the voting of a provision -due on Thursday – that recognizes legal personality in the Metochion of the Monastery in Greece, that is the representation of St. Catherine Monastery. This seems to play a crucial role for a diplomatic agreement between Athens and Cairo, paving the way toward the right direction.

Also the Archbishop linked the monks’ move to the vote in Parliament of the bill that establishes a Legal Entity of Public Law in Greece and grants legal status to the Monastery.

According to media information, a group of 15 monks convened an  “assembly”, which —as the Archbishop’s associates emphasize— “is illegal, since the prescribed procedure that requires a request from 2/3 of the monks was not followed.”

The said group issued a decision to remove the Archbishop from the position of Abbot, with information indicating that the relevant document has been sent for ratification to the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

As stated in the document: “During the General Assembly of the Sinai Brotherhood, today Wednesday – s.s. i.e. yesterday –  17/30/2025, it was unanimously decided to remove Archbishop Sinai, Faran and Raythos etc. Damianos from the position of Abbot and Archbishop of the Holy Basilica and Autonomous Monastery of the Holy and Theobadist Mount Sinai, in accordance with article 12 of the Fundamental Regulations of the Monastery.”

Damianos’ angry reaction

In a statement Archbishop Damianos noted in this context:

“…The submission of the bill by which the representation of the Holy Monastery in Greece acquires legal personality in Greece and the unanimous support of all parties was the moment when hope returned because the Holy Monastery of Sinai was a point of unity of Hellenism and Orthodoxy. Hellenic people everywhere extended their hand with their hearts to the friendly country of Egypt for the need for cooperation and coexistence centered on high ideals such as religious freedom.”

[…]

“Some fathers of the Holy Monastery of Sinai offer the best service to those who wish that its Calvary should not end,” and called on everyone “together, united, far from ephemeral and vain egos, to save the Holy Monastery. Let us all be inspired by the unity shown by the Greek Parliament from one end to the other these days for the rescue of the Holy Monastery of Sinai.“

Greek gov’t distanced 

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis stated that the government is not taking a position but is covered by the Archbishop’s demarche.

“It is not the government’s job to take a position, we are covered by the demarche of Archbishop Damianos,” mariakis told reporters during the daily briefing on Thursday.

PS KTG admits that it has no great knowledge of “Church” issues and canons, and it assumes that this group of monks are affiliated with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem that has a kind of “jurisdiction” over the Sinai Monastery and this might be lost when the representation in Greece is granted “legal status.”

It’s always about “power games” and mainly the preservation of properties, assets, holly and historical relics of immeasurable value  even if their ownership and status is questioned and challenged.