The situation is further complicated by the expected visit of Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, to Athens on August 6, where he is set to meet with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. The meeting is reportedly aimed at forming a bilateral agreement regarding the monastery’s status.

The provisions regarding the Monastery’s assets in Greece are included in a Ministry of Education bill, recently presented to Parliament by Education and Religious Affairs Minister Sofia Zacharaki. Archbishop Damianos of Sinai also appeared before the special Parliamentary Committee to support the bill, urging lawmakers to unanimously back the measure.

However, behind the scenes, what has been described as an “ecclesiastical coup” is reportedly underway at the Monastery, allegedly led by Monk Isychios.

According to sources, Isychios and other members of the Brotherhood attempted to oust Archbishop Damianos through questionable procedures. A vote record has been sent to Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, where 15 monks reportedly support Damianos’s removal. Under established protocols, a two-thirds majority (of 25 General Assembly members) is required for such a decision. However, the coup leaders claim only 22 members are legitimate, thus interpreting two-thirds as 15 votes.

Notably, among the signatories is Hieromonk Pamphilos, who reportedly left the Sinai Brotherhood years ago and now resides in a monastery on Mount Athos.

According to knowledgeable sources, this ongoing “coup” has no legal standing and does not affect the Archbishop’s status. Nevertheless, its timing is seen as a calculated effort to undermine the legislative and diplomatic progress related to the Monastery, especially with the upcoming Greek-Egyptian foreign ministerial talks.

These sources emphasize that intervention at the highest political and ecclesiastical levels is now essential to prevent derailment of the ongoing process, which seeks to address the legal consequences of the decision by the Ismailia Court of Appeals.