Archimandrite Symeon Papadopoulos was elected new abbot of the Greek Orthodox St Catherine’s Monastery on Mt Sinai, and will be ordained as archbishop pending final approval.
At the election of the Sinai Brotherhood, both sides cooperated so that of the 20 available votes, he received 19. The 20th was his, and he cast it blank, following the ancient tradition.
Following the decision of the General Assembly, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem will be notified so that the procedure of his ordination as new abbot and Archbishop of Sinai, Faran, and Raitho may proceed.
The former head of Sinai Monastery resigned last week
The last time a new monastery leader was elected and ordained archbishop was in 1973, when Archbishop Damianos was chosen. Damianos resigned the leadership of the monastery on September 12, after 52 years of service.
In a statement, he expressed his “full awareness of the end of [his] 52-year term” and humbly submitted his resignation. The Archbishop has called on the Sinai Fathers to “elect the best and most capable person” to succeed him, emphasizing the need for “unity and support of all, far from personal ambitions and obsessions.”
Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis congratulated the archimandrite in a phone call, according to a post on the X platform.
Related: Egypt Reassures Greece on the Status of Sinai’s St Catherine’s Monastery
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
