On Friday, October 18/31, Archbishop Symeon was formally enthroned as Archbishop of Sinai, Faran, and Raithou, at Saint Catherine’s Monastery. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem was present, and presented Archbishop Symeon with the episcopal staff of authority.
Also present from Jerusalem were Metropolitan Hesychios of Capitolia, Archimandrite Ieronymos, Secretary of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Christodoulos, and Deacon Prodromos. The Ecumenical Patriarchate was represented by Metropolitan Demetrios of the Princes’ Islands, the Patriarchate of Alexandria by Metropolitan George of Guinea. Bishop Christophoros of Karpasia was present, representing both the Church of Greece and the Church of Cyprus.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, was present at the enthronement, together with important officials from Greece.
Present also were Major General Khaled Mubarak, Governor of South Sinai, together with important officials from Egypt. Representing the United States were Michael Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, and Herro Garg, Ambassador to Egypt.
Patriarch Theophilos made an address in which he said,
«Ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἰδιαιτέρᾳ καὶ ἱστορικῇ στιγμῇ, ὅπου παρίστανται ἐνταῦθα ἐξέχουσαι προσωπικότητες, καλοῦμεν ἀμφοτέρους νὰ συνεργασθῶσι πρὸς διαφύλαξιν τοῦ ἱεροῦ τούτου χώρου καὶ τῆς μακραίωνος παραδόσεως αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἐγρηγόρσει συνειδήσεως καὶ ὑψηλῷ αἰσθήματι εὐθύνης ἔμπροσθεν τῆς ἱστορίας, τῆς ὁποίας πάντες καθιστάμεθα μέρος καὶ μάρτυρες».
‘At this special and historic moment, where prominent personalities are present here, we call on both to cooperate in preserving this sacred space and its centuries-old tradition, with a heightened sense of conscience and a high sense of responsibility before the history of which we are all part and witnesses.’
Many years!