The monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the w...

The monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world, remains at the center of an unresolved dispute between its monastic community and the Egyptian state, with no agreement in sight as September ends. The core issue is straightforward. Egypt has offered a legal framework that would permanently guarantee the monastery's religious character, but in exchange the monastic community would permanently surrender ownership of the property. The abbot, Symeon, has so far refused to sign, and sources say the weight of that decision, given the monastery's ancient history, is enormous. Athens is walking a difficult line. The Greek government does not want to damage its relationship with Egypt, a key partner given the instability across the broader Middle East region, but it also knows the monastery dispute carries significant weight with Greek public opinion at home and abroad. The Foreign Ministry's official position is that the decision now rests with the monastic community itself. A new development emerged Thursday when PASOK MEP Nikos Farantouris visited the monastery, invited by both the monks and Egyptian authorities. Farantouris sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trans-Atlantic Relations, and the goal appears to be bringing a European dimension to the dispute in hopes of drawing Brussels into the conversation. Sources describe an open line of communication between Farantouris and Greek government officials, with the MEP expected to brief them after his visit. Whether the European angle can produce any movement before a deal or a breakdown is reached remains an open question. For now, the monastery's fate hangs on a decision no one appears ready to make. #SaintCatherine #Greece #Egypt