Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho, and Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Mount Sinai, Archbishop Symeon, on Sunday, November 2.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, as well as representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Churches of Greece and Cyprus.
In his address, Mitsotakis described the 1,500-year-old monastery as “a bastion of Orthodoxy, a beacon of spiritual virtue, and a bridge of friendship between Greece and Egypt.”
He called it “a national duty to maintain our continuous interest in the Monastery’s vital spiritual and cultural mission, and a rightful obligation to assist those who preserve our traditions at the far reaches of this peninsula.”
The Prime Minister also praised the Sinai Brotherhood for its “patience, spiritual discernment, and steadfast faith” during recent challenges, and expressed confidence that Archbishop Symeon’s enthronement marked “a new era of unity and brotherhood” for the community.
Following the service, Mitsotakis venerated the Holy Relics and toured the monastery’s Treasury before holding private meetings with Patriarch Theophilos III, Archbishop Symeon, and US Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas.
Later, in a statement, Mitsotakis reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to supporting Saint Catherine’s Monastery and its monastic community, saying: “This sacred place has kept alive the flame of Orthodoxy for 1,500 years… Greece will always stand beside the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, ensuring this unique legacy is preserved for eternity.”
The Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki, also attended the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza on Saturday, at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
