Bulgarian Patriarch Expresses Support For Sinai Monastery Brotherhood
“The holy monastery is a place of spiritual struggle for its brotherhood and must not be regarderd as a museum,” stated Patriarch Daniel.
SOFIA—The Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel, has sent a letter of support to Archbishop Damian of Sinai and the brotherhood of the Monastery of St. Catherine the Great Martyr on Mount Sinai in Egypt. The letter, published on the official website of the Bulgarian Patriarchate, expresses "deep concern and solidarity" over the situation surrounding the monastery following a recent decision by an Egyptian court.
In his message, Patriarch Daniel emphasized that the Sinai Monastery, with its 1,500-year history, is “a sacred site of immense historical and inestimable value for the entire Orthodox Church.”
He underscored the spiritual and cultural ties that have long connected the Bulgarian people to this ancient monastery, which houses dozens of unique Old Bulgarian manuscripts. For centuries, Bulgarian pilgrims have visited the monastery as a place of deep reverence.
“The Holy Monastery is a place of spiritual struggle for its brotherhood and cannot be viewed as a museum or as state property,” declared the Bulgarian Patriarch. He stressed that ownership of the monastery and all its property belongs solely to the monastic brotherhood, as affirmed by the sacred canons, ancient imperial law, and the principles of modern democratic legal order.
“The monastic brotherhood is the sole steward of the monastery’s property. It is their home, their place of repentance, and their lifelong service,” he stated.
In closing, Patriarch Daniel called for prayers for the protection of the monastery and its brethren:
“We fervently beseech the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ—through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, and all the saints of Sinai—to preserve His holy monastery from the wiles of the evil one and to protect its monastic brotherhood!”
As previously reported by the UOJ's Ukrainian Bureau (SPZh), a Greek delegation has arrived in Cairo to discuss the ongoing legal challenges facing the Sinai monastery.
