Worshippers filled the All-Holy Church of the Resurrection on Sunday, for the ordination and Divine Liturgy of Archbishop Symeon of the Monastery of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho, celebrated under the omophorion of Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem.
Hierarchs from several Orthodox jurisdictions, clergy, diplomats and lay faithful attended. Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis led the political delegation, a presence that reflected Athens’ ongoing talks with Cairo on the legal status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
When the liturgy ended, the patriarchal entourage moved to the Throne Hall. Theophilus, Symeon and Gerapetritis each addressed the assembly, framing the ordination as both a spiritual renewal for the Sinai Brotherhood and a fresh moment of Hellenic engagement in the region.
Symeon’s election and enthronement closed the leadership gap created by the resignation of Archbishop Damianos, ending months of uncertainty at the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery.
The new archbishop had arrived in Jerusalem on Friday, where a delegation headed by Elder Dragoman Archimandrite Matthew and Synod Secretary Archimandrite Christodoulos welcomed him “in ecclesiastical order and warm love,” according to ANT1 News. Over the weekend he met privately with Theophilus and dined informally with Greek Consul General Dimitrios Angelosopoulos. He is scheduled for a second audience on Monday before departing for Egypt to assume the abbacy of Saint Catherine’s.
“The presence of young people is necessary for its continuation and work,” said Symeon, according to Ethnos, urging fresh vocations to bolster the shrinking brotherhood. He vowed to “restore the unity of the fathers and strengthen the Monastery with new blood.”
“The Monastery of Saint Catherine and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem are beacons of spirituality with global radiance,” said Gerapetritis, according to Ethnos. He added that negotiations with Egypt “are progressing satisfactorily” and that a “preliminary common understanding” already exists on a final agreement that will protect the monastery’s privileges.
Founded between 548 and 565 CE and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, Saint Catherine’s Monastery functions as an autonomous Church within the wider Greek Orthodox communion. With Sunday’s ordination complete, Symeon now holds the dual role of archbishop and abbot, guiding the 1,500-year-old monastic community into its next chapter.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.