Egypt Must Not Confiscate St. Catherine’s Monastery

It has now been a month since Egyptian courts have ordered the confiscation of St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. If enforced, the ruling will lead to the eviction of the Greek Orthodox monks who have lived there since the sixth century. This is not merely an outrage—it is a grotesque violation of Egypt’s solemn commitments to Greece, a betrayal of the monastery’s universal significance to Christendom, and a reckless assault on the delicate balance of cultural and religious coexistence in a nation that has always been religiously diverse. 

While Athens is doing what it can, Greece should not be left alone in defending Christian heritage in the region. The United States, Europe—indeed, the whole of Christendom—must unite in condemning this disgrace and pressuring Cairo to reverse what history is sure to regard as a catastrophic misstep and a profound injustice.

Founded by Emperor Justinian I between 548 and 565, St. Catherine’s Monastery stands at the foot of Mount Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, it is a living testament to the endurance of Christian faith, housing one of the world’s most precious collections of ancient manuscripts and icons, second only to the Vatican Library. Its significance transcends Orthodoxy; it is of crucial importance to Christians of all denominations and even to Muslims who, too, revere the site. The monastery’s small mosque, built for Bedouin worshippers and rebuilt in the 20th century, is a monument to religious coexistence. To shutter this sacred place is to erase a veritable beacon of Christian history.

Egypt’s decision is a direct affront to its commitment to Greece, whose Orthodox Church has administered St. Catherine’s for over a millennium. As recently as May of this year, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi publicly affirmed Egypt’s dedication to protecting the monastery, citing its “perpetual contract” with the Egyptian state. At the occasion, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis thanked Sisi for safeguarding it as the great Greek Orthodox monument it is. However, the court order now made public—emerging mere weeks after such assurances—mocks the pledges made.  Egypt’s decision is a direct affront to its commitment to Greece, whose Orthodox Church has administered St. Catherine’s for over a millennium. Tweet This

The Greek Foreign Ministry is reportedly negotiating with Cairo, but words alone will not suffice. The whole of Europe ought to amplify Greece’s voice and make clear its solidarity, demanding that Egypt honor its promises.

St. Catherine’s is a universal Christian treasure. Its Codex Sinaiticus—a fourth-century Bible—offers a window into the Faith’s earliest days. Other Christians have long revered the monastery as a pilgrimage site. They cannot now stand idly by as it is stripped from its rightful stewards. The Vatican, Orthodox Churches, Anglican Communion, and additional Christian bodies throughout the world must join hands in condemning this act, recognizing that losing the monastery would diminish the shared heritage of all Christendom. To allow Egypt to proceed unchecked risks emboldening other states to trample on religious freedoms under the guise of judicial authority.

This ruling also threatens the fragile stability of the Sinai Peninsula, already strained by Egypt’s controversial “Great Transfiguration” project, which has drawn justified criticism for endangering the monastery’s UNESCO-protected status. The project, aimed at transforming St. Catherine’s into a mass tourism hub, has already displaced Bedouin communities and endangered endemic species. Confiscating the monastery—likely with the purpose of converting it into a revenue-generating museum for the Egyptian government—unfortunately compounds this recklessness, risking further unrest among the local Bedouins, who are believed to be the descendents of the Roman soldiers sent by Justinian to build and guard the monastery and who, despite now being mostly Muslims, continue to protect the monks in keeping with the ancient oath.

The leaders of Christian nations around the world must act decisively. Indeed, Western states should be unified in their condemnation, leveraging diplomatic and economic pressure to compel Egypt to reverse this decision. Cairo has good relations with the United States, as well as with many European countries—all should be adamant that going ahead with the confiscation will have profoundly deleterious effects on bilateral relations. These should not be seen as anti-Egyptian acts—Mr. Sisi is well regarded by Egypt’s large Christian Coptic community, and his is a powerful nation that should not be alienated. Still, should Cairo go ahead with this intolerable decision, there ought to be palpable consequences.

To desecrate St. Catherine’s would be to desecrate history itself. Christians worldwide should follow Greece’s example and stand with the monks.