Archbishop Georgios on Monday appealed to the Sinai Brotherhood in Egypt to cooperate with the Sinai Archbishop Damianos to allow the continued operation of the Greek Orthodox monastery of St Catherine in the Sinai peninsula.

The dispute began earlier in August when monks at the monastery challenged Archbishop Damianos’ leadership.

“The Church of Cyprus knows from experience that Hellinism has paid a heavy price due to national divisions and ecclesiastical divisions,” Archbishop Georgios said.

He underlined that the disruption of ecclesiastical unity and order leads to national disputes and has negative consequences for the nation.

“We express our heartfelt request to the Sinai Brotherhood, considering the history of the monastery to cooperate in a spirit of love, unity and ecclesiastical conscience with the legitimate Sinai Archbishop Damianos,” he added.

He concluded that it is necessary find a mutually accepted solution which ensures the preservation of the monastery of St Catherine’s centuries-old status.

“This is not the time to settle internal issues, neither of the monastery nor the State,” Archbishop Georgios concluded.

The monastery of St Catherine is a site of pilgrimage for the faithful of Cyprus.