Metropolitan Antonius, of Jerusalem and Near East, led a peaceful protest in front of Deir al-Sultan (the Sultan’s monastery) against actions taken by the Ethiopian monks occupying the monastery without coordination with the Coptic Church who owns the monastery and holds historical rights to it. The protest witnessed the participation of a number of priests, monks, and members of the Coptic congregation in Jerusalem.
The Ethiopian monks had replaced old doors at the monastery with new ones without notifying the Coptic Orthodox Church which saw this as
an assault on the monastery and a flagrant violation of the Jerusalem status quo system.
Anba Antonius said “I had been on a pastoral visit to Jordan and Kuwait which fall within my parish. I was informed by those in Jerusalem diocese that the Ethiopian monks has replaced the doors, and had thrown out the Coptic monk resident there, who had taken a photograph of the new doors. Once I returned, I insisted on entering Deir al-Sultan and on removing the new doors. The Ethiopian monks were hostile; holding sticks they attempted to stop me from entering. But a number of Copts immediately surrounded me, and we entered the monastery. I called the police, the Ministry of Religions, and the Egyptian ambassador in Tel Aviv. I did not leave till the new doors were removed and the Coptic resident monk reinstated.
