US Backs Saint Catherine’s Monastery: Washington Vows to Protect Sinai’s Historic and Religious Legacy

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The United States has thrown its support behind the preservation of the historic and religious significance of Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, amid continuing uncertainty over the legal status and ownership of land and property linked to the ancient Christian institution.

A US State Department spokesperson, responding to questions from the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, said Washington “recognizes the historical and religious significance of the Monastery of St. Catherine,” describing it as the oldest continuously operating monastery in the world.

The statement added that the United States “seeks to protect it.”

The intervention comes as questions remain unresolved over the ownership and legal status of the monastery’s extensive lands and properties following a ruling by an Egyptian court on May 28, 2025.

Washington signals support for the monastery

The State Department’s position reinforces growing international attention surrounding the future of Saint Catherine’s Monastery and its centuries-old religious and cultural heritage.

Washington has indicated that protecting the monastery is not limited to preserving its physical structures, but also extends to safeguarding its historic and spiritual identity.

The issue has also drawn direct attention from senior figures close to US President Donald Trump.

On July 18, Massad Boulos, the US President’s senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, met with Archbishop Simeon of Sinai at the monastery’s compound in Cairo.

According to the briefing, Boulos conveyed President Trump’s personal interest in maintaining the monastery’s historic status quo, while also expressing his own commitment to supporting efforts aimed at protecting its religious and historical character.

A landmark of Christian history

Saint Catherine’s Monastery stands at the foot of Mount Sinai and has been a major centre of Christian worship, scholarship and pilgrimage for centuries.

Its library and manuscript collection are among the most important surviving repositories of early Christian material, while the monastery itself has maintained an extraordinary continuity of religious life in one of the world’s most historically significant regions.

The monastery’s future has therefore become a matter of international concern, particularly as negotiations and legal questions surrounding its property remain unresolved.

For Greece and the wider Orthodox Christian world, the developments carry particular significance because of the monastery’s deep historical links to the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The latest US statement signals that Washington is closely watching the issue and is prepared to support efforts aimed at ensuring that the historic status quo and religious identity of Saint Catherine’s Monastery are preserved.

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