The oldest continuously functioning monastery in the world may be closed and turned into a museum, following an Egyptian court ruling.
St Catherine’s monastery was built in the mid-sixth century and has a special connection to both the Old and New Testaments.
Not only is it the oldest operating monastery dedicated to Christ, it also happens to be located at the foot of Mt Sinai, the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God in the book of Exodus.
Although monks and monasteries are not mentioned in the Bible, the vocation is believed to have developed and gained popularity shortly after the Roman Empire accepted Christianity as its state religion.
The influx of new believers led many “old guard” Christians to lament the drop in standards expected of those who followed Christ. Many went out into the wilderness in an attempt to uphold the old standards, eventually forming communities that would allow them both to direct their focus on God and to serve wider society.
St Catherine’s currently houses around 20 monks, but a Cairo court has decreed that ownership of the land the monastery is built on be transferred to the Egyptian government. Egyptian press reports suggest there are plans to turn the monastery into a museum.
The ruling comes in spite of Egyptian promises to maintain “the unique and sacred religious status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery and preventing its violation”. The Egyptian president recently gave public assurances to the Greek government that the monastery would not be closed.
The monastery was built during the time of the Byzantine (broadly Greek speaking) Empire and is known for its excellent Byzantine period art.
The court ruling has prompted concern from Christians. In a statement, Ierenemos II, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, said, “Following yesterday’s scandalous ruling, a violent infringement of human rights and, more specifically, of religious freedoms by Egypt’s judicial authorities, the world’s oldest Orthodox Christian monument, the Monastery of Mount Sinai, is entering a period of great trial – one that evokes memories of darker times in history.
“I unequivocally condemn any attempt to alter the longstanding status that has prevailed in this region for fifteen centuries. I call upon the responsible Greek government – and personally upon prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis [of Greece] – to take immediate and appropriate action to restore lawful order and ensure that the holy monastery is not effectively abolished.”
The Egyptian government has said it will work with Greece to ensure continued “close and fraternal relations”.
