NEW YORK –
Egypt reiterated its full commitment to preserving the status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Presidency late on May 29.
The statement, as it appears on the Egyptian Presidency’s website, is as follows:
“The Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt reiterates its full commitment to preserving the unique and sacred religious status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery and preventing its violation. The Presidency affirms that the recent court ruling consolidates this status, aligning with the points President El-Sisi emphasized during his recent visit to Athens on May 7. The Presidency also affirms the importance of preserving the close and fraternal relations that bind the two countries and peoples and ensuring that they are not jeopardized”.
Egyptian FM: St. Catherine’s Monastery, archaeological sites protected
Responding earlier to a query by MENA [Middle East News Agency] regarding a court ruling issued on May 28, concerning the land surrounding St. Catherine’s Monastery, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, stressed that rumors about seizing St. Catherine’s Monastery and its affiliated land are completely unfounded.
The statement, as it appears on Egypt’s State Information Service’s website, is as follows:
“In response to an inquiry by the Middle East News Agency regarding the judicial ruling issued on May 28 concerning the lands surrounding the Monastery of Saint Catherine and the rumors circulated about the confiscation of the monastery and its affiliated lands, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that such claims are completely unfounded and that upon reviewing the full text of the ruling, the following facts become clear:
First, the Monastery of Saint Catherine, its affiliated archaeological sites, its spiritual value, religious significance, and the monastery’s associated cemeteries aren’t infringed. The spokesperson affirmed that this judicial ruling represents the first instance in which the legal status of the monastery has been regulated, with a clear affirmation of the preservation of its sacred standing.
Second, although there are some additional sites for which contracts had been signed with local authorities—despite their classification as natural reserves—the court ruling, in recognition of the spiritual and religious value of the monastery, has approved the continued right of the monastery’s monks to benefit from those areas, as well as from the religious and archaeological sites within the region.
Third, the judicial ruling referred to the existence of some remote areas within the natural reserves that are completely distant from the monastery and uninhabited, for which no ownership or possession documents exist. Consequently, these lands are considered state property.
The Spokesperson highlighted the necessity of verifying information and refraining from issuing erroneous and premature judgments before reviewing the full text of the judicial ruling. He further underscored the paramount significance of avoiding any harm to the close, fraternal, and historical relations that bind Egypt to the friendly Hellenic Republic, which have spanned across centuries”.
