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# Negotiations Over St. Catherine’s Monastery Reach Impasse
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/negotiations-over-st-catherines-monastery-reach-impasse/
- Published: 2026-09-26T14:07:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-26T14:07:24.000Z
- Description: Negotiations over the future legal status of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai have reportedly stalled amid unresolved property issues and competing concerns over the monastery’s ownership and canonical status.
- Author: Tobias Straney
- Tags: #Category: News, Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai Monastery, Mount Sinai, Middle East

**SINAI, EGYPT —** Negotiations between the brotherhood of St. Catherine’s Monastery and the Egyptian government over the legal and institutional framework governing the historic monastery [have reportedly stalled](https://www.romfea.gr/diafora/78753-pros-adieksodo-oi-syzitiseis-gia-ti-moni-sina), with unresolved property questions preventing the sides from finalizing an agreement. Proposals had been exchanged since June, and by late July had produced the outline of a potential settlement, but Egypt’s latest counterproposal in early August left questions concerning certain agricultural properties unresolved.

According to reports cited by Romfea, Abp. Symeon of Sinai had pursued negotiations with the assistance of a team of legal and academic experts, in a strategy that differed from that of his predecessor. Church and diplomatic sources reportedly attribute the subsequent difficulties to activity by individual members of the monastic brotherhood and outside actors. These sources claim that the monastery’s quieter period in August, combined with Abp. Symeon’s illness, provided an opportunity for some monks to reconsider positions they had previously supported.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/09/negotiations-over-st-catherines-monastery-reportedly-near-final-stage.jpg)On this topicNegotiations Over St. Catherine’s Monastery Reportedly Near Final Stage](https://uoj.news/news/negotiations-over-st-catherines-monastery-reportedly-near-final-stage/)

Abp. Symeon has reportedly been in Athens for several weeks while recovering from illness, with the monastery’s daily administration being carried out by the Abbot’s Council under the leadership of Fr. Niphon. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Archdiocese of Athens have reportedly expressed concern over the situation. A delegation from Jerusalem was said to have visited Athens, while another delegation could travel to Sinai to assess the situation with the brotherhood.

The dispute has also drawn the attention of the Sacred Community of Mt. Athos, which recently sent a letter concerning the monastery’s future. The Athonite community called for the historic and canonical status of St. Catherine’s Monastery to remain unchanged and opposed the possible establishment of a “dual ownership” arrangement. The letter reportedly described the intervention as an expression of support rather than a political initiative, although sources characterized it as unexpected by several parties involved in the dispute.

The question of ownership remains central to the negotiations. According to the reports, Egypt’s Ismailia Court of Appeals ruled that ownership of the monastery’s property is currently vested solely in the Egyptian state, making preservation of the monastery’s existing status a significant concern for the brotherhood. Former Archbishop of Sinai Damianos also expressed support for the Athonite intervention, thanking the Sacred Community and saying that the monastery was facing “severe blackmail” and a “suffocating cordon.” No timetable for the conclusion of the negotiations has been reported.

Previously, the [UOJ reported](https://uoj.news/news/mt-athos-opposes-proposed-dual-ownership-of-st-catherine-monastery/) that Mt. Athos opposed “dual ownership” of St. Catherine Monastery.