The Cyprus Archbishop on Sunday called on the Egyptian government to allow for the continued operation of the Greek Orthodox monastery of St Catherine in the Sinai peninsula.

It said the government there should “respect what has been respected over the centuries,” Archbishop Georgios said in a written statement.

Is it possible, he asked, “in the 21st century, the century of religious freedoms, respect for property and human rights, to question the self-evident?

“We join our voice with the entire Orthodox world in defending the rights of the Holy Monastery of Mount Sinai. For 15 centuries, various regimes and governments, different religions and denominations have respected both the imperial building and its property, as well as the priceless religious and cultural treasures it preserves, and its international appeal.”

He also called on the Egyptian government to respect the agreement it has concluded with the Sinaitic Brotherhood.

“We also express our sympathy for the severely tested Archbishop of Sinai, Damianos, and the Brotherhood for him, and we pray to God for the speedy restoration of the rights of the monastery, which have been in force throughout the centuries,” the Archbishop said.

On Thursday, the Egyptian government dismissed ongoing rumours of a legal change to the monastery’s status, underlining that a recent court decision reinforces the monastery’s protected role.

It had been reported that the court ruling stripped the monastery of control over surrounding land and affiliated areas.

On Saturday, further reports said the monks had closed access to the monastery following the court decision.

It is a regular site of pilgrimage for the faithful of Cyprus.