Jerusalem Delegation Speaks With Abp. Damianos on Sinai Situation

Photo: Jerusalem Patriarchate

ATHENS — His Eminence Archbishop Damianos of Sinai has formally requested the intervention of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to help resolve ongoing issues concerning the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai. In a personal letter, Archbishop Damianos wrote: “We trust your righteous judgement, you are our Father and Patriarch, whom, as a Bishop, I respect, honor and love.”

Patriarch Theophilos responded immediately, dispatching a three-member delegation to Athens to pursue a peaceful resolution. The delegation included prominent Hagiotafite hierarchs: Archbishop Constantini, Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate; His Eminence Aristarchos, Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Greece; Archimandrite Ieronymos, Secretary of the Holy Synod; and additionally included  esteemed canon law professor Theodoros Giagkou.

After three days of patient waiting, the delegation secured a meeting with Archbishop Damianos on the evening of Thursday, August 7, 2025. During the visit, a rumor emerged suggesting a contradictory letter from the Archbishop had been circulated to the press. The Patriarchate firmly rejected the claim, stating that no such letter was sent and that any alleged text is “non-existent.”

In a statement, the Patriarchate emphasized its commitment to ecclesiastical ethics and its refusal to respond to “suspicious and malevolent press articles” that aim to divide the Orthodox Church and distort the canonical rights of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. These reports, it said, reflect a “lack of knowledge for the sacred rules and… the undeniable canonical jurisdiction” of the Church of Jerusalem.

Despite misinformation, the Patriarchate’s delegation pursued dialogue in a spirit of “peace, tranquility, and love in Christ.” They met with Archbishop Damianos’ representatives and Mr. Kanantzis, the Greek government’s general secretary for religious affairs, encouraging a path of reconciliation to safeguard both ecclesiastical unity and national cohesion.

The Hagiotafite Brotherhood concluded with a call for prayer, expressing hope in God for a swift and fraternal resolution to the matter, citing Romans 5:5: “And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”

Previously, UOJ reported that a three-member delegation from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem had arrived in Athens to address the internal crisis at Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai.

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