Skip to the content
Icon of Christ
› ›

Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai

TheGodChrist
edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
How did Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai, avoid any hint of Coptic influence and tradition?

I do not know much about the history of it, although I am aware that it is canonically part of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Comments

  • imikhailimikhail
    There is no saint by that name in the Coptic Church. It is a legend

    The monastery was a fortress that got occupied by the Chalcednians in the 5th century.

  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    [quote author=imikhail link=topic=12408.msg145330#msg145330 date=1317214706]
    There is no saint by that name in the Coptic Church. It is a legend


    Wrong.
    Catherine of Alexandria

    And before you object, here is what H.G. Bishop Youssef has to say:

    Where is Saint Catherine of Alexandria in the Synaxarium?

        Our church is so rich in the number of her saints that it is not feasible to have all of them included in the Synaxarium we read during the liturgy. However, our Coptic church has published many books that tell the stories of these great saints.

        You can read about St. Catherine of Alexandria in "Coptic Orthodox Book of Saints Part II" published by St. George & St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church, Roxboro, Quebec, Canada and at http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/katherine.htm.

    Source (Note: The link in this answer doesn't work. I believe the link is for this page.)

    Here is some information on the monastery of St. Catherine
    Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
    The Holy Monastery of the God-trodden Mount Sinai, Saint Catherine’s Monastery
  • imikhailimikhail
    [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=12408.msg145334#msg145334 date=1317221420]
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    [quote author=imikhail link=topic=12408.msg145330#msg145330 date=1317214706]
    There is no saint by that name in the Coptic Church. It is a legend


    Wrong.
    Catherine of Alexandria

    And before you object, here is what H.G. Bishop Youssef has to say:

    Where is Saint Catherine of Alexandria in the Synaxarium?

        Our church is so rich in the number of her saints that it is not feasible to have all of them included in the Synaxarium we read during the liturgy. However, our Coptic church has published many books that tell the stories of these great saints.

        You can read about St. Catherine of Alexandria in "Coptic Orthodox Book of Saints Part II" published by St. George & St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church, Roxboro, Quebec, Canada and at http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/katherine.htm.

    Source (Note: The link in this answer doesn't work. I believe the link is for this page.)

    Here is some information on the monastery of St. Catherine
    Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
    The Holy Monastery of the God-trodden Mount Sinai, Saint Catherine’s Monastery


    This information is not new.

    The problem is in the claim that there is a saint by that name.

    The story is fictitious and no saint by that name existed either in Alexandria or Sainai during the early centuries (4-5).

    Her story did not appear till probably the 9th century by the Greek Church.
  • TheGodChrist
    But why is it not a Coptic Monastery? Did it ever coexist peacefully with the non-chalcedonians?
  • imikhailimikhail
    [quote author=✞TheGodChrist✞ link=topic=12408.msg145349#msg145349 date=1317245608]
    But why is it not a Coptic Monastery? Did it ever coexist peacefully with the non-chalcedonians?


    The monastery never existed as a Coptic one. As I pointed out earlier, the structure was a fortress built to defend Egypt's Eastern border.

    The Chalcedonians  occupied the structure, turned into a religious shrine as a thorn in the back of the Alexandrian Church.

    Later to get funding and win pilgrims, they built onto the legend of St Catherine that her body got transferred miraculously to that building.
  • TheGodChrist
    [quote author=imikhail link=topic=12408.msg145353#msg145353 date=1317252230]
    [quote author=✞TheGodChrist✞ link=topic=12408.msg145349#msg145349 date=1317245608]
    But why is it not a Coptic Monastery? Did it ever coexist peacefully with the non-chalcedonians?


    The monastery never existed as a Coptic one. As I pointed out earlier, the structure was a fortress built to defend Egypt's Eastern border.

    The Chalcedonians  occupied the structure, turned into a religious shrine as a thorn in the back of the Alexandrian Church.

    Later to get funding and win pilgrims, they built on the legend of St Catherine that her body got transferred miraculously to that building.


    So they turned a military fortress into a Monastery just to spite us?
  • imikhailimikhail
    [quote author=✞TheGodChrist✞ link=topic=12408.msg145355#msg145355 date=1317259919]
    [quote author=imikhail link=topic=12408.msg145353#msg145353 date=1317252230]
    [quote author=✞TheGodChrist✞ link=topic=12408.msg145349#msg145349 date=1317245608]
    But why is it not a Coptic Monastery? Did it ever coexist peacefully with the non-chalcedonians?


    The monastery never existed as a Coptic one. As I pointed out earlier, the structure was a fortress built to defend Egypt's Eastern border.

    The Chalcedonians  occupied the structure, turned into a religious shrine as a thorn in the back of the Alexandrian Church.

    Later to get funding and win pilgrims, they built on the legend of St Catherine that her body got transferred miraculously to that building.


    So they turned a military fortress into a Monastery just to spite us?


    A bit of history ...

    Egypt was under the Byzantine Occupation till the entrance of the Arabs in the 7th century. The fortress was under the Byzantine control used by the Byxantine guards which were controlled by the Byzantine empire headquartered in Constantinople.

    Justian  the Emperor was the fiercest enemy of the Oriental Church and it was during his reign that the fortress became a place of worship.
  • TheGodChrist
    [quote author=imikhail link=topic=12408.msg145357#msg145357 date=1317261876]
    A bit of history ...

    Egypt was under the Byzantine Occupation till the entrance of the Arabs in the 7th century. The fortress was under the Byzantine control used by the Byxantine guards which were controlled by the Byzantine empire headquartered in Constantinople.

    Justian  the Emperor was the fiercest enemy of tehe Oriental Church and it was in his reign that the fortress became a place of worship.


    Thank you for clarifying.

    Any additional resources or links on this subject? I'm interested in how the Byzantines ruled in Egypt during this time period.
  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    ::)

    Surprise surprise. More outlandish claims without any sources. Deja vu.
  • imikhailimikhail
    [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=12408.msg145362#msg145362 date=1317266604]
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    ::)

    Surprise surprise. More outlandish claims without any sources. Deja vu.



    Thanks for your comment
  • aiernoviaiernovi
    It would be nice if you could lead us to further reading about some of the things you said imikhail so that we could all benefit and learn more about the topic
  • imikhailimikhail
    [quote author=✞TheGodChrist✞ link=topic=12408.msg145359#msg145359 date=1317263095]
    [quote author=imikhail link=topic=12408.msg145357#msg145357 date=1317261876]
    A bit of history ...

    Egypt was under the Byzantine Occupation till the entrance of the Arabs in the 7th century. The fortress was under the Byzantine control used by the Byxantine guards which were controlled by the Byzantine empire headquartered in Constantinople.

    Justian  the Emperor was the fiercest enemy of tehe Oriental Church and it was in his reign that the fortress became a place of worship.


    Thank you for clarifying.




    Any additional resources or links on this subject? I'm interested in how the Byzantines ruled in Egypt during this time period.


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_(Roman_province)

    Early Egyptian Christianity: from its origins to 451 C.E. By C. Wilfred Griggs P 213


    Egypt after the pharaohs: 332 BC-AD 642 : from Alexander to the Arab Conquest P 51


  • imikhailimikhail
    [quote author=aiernovi link=topic=12408.msg145365#msg145365 date=1317268103]
    It would be nice if you could lead us to further reading about some of the things you said imikhail so that we could all benefit and learn more about the topic



    Definitely aiernowi.

    Here are some information on the ficticious story of "St."Catherine:

    How the legend originated

    http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/31sr.htm



    http://www.kappagammapi.org/_catherine.html [ In 1969, banking on the probability that she never existed, Rome suppressed her feast day, November 25. ]
  • imikhailimikhail
    The monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian I (reigned 527-565), enclosing the Chapel of the Burning Bush ordered to be built by Helena, the mother of Constantine I, at the site where Moses is supposed to have seen the burning bush; the living bush on the grounds is purportedly the original. Source


  • aiernoviaiernovi
    Thanks for the links. Some very interesting reading indeed. Its really a shame the lengths people will go to for power/attention/money.
  • TheGodChrist
    [quote author=aiernovi link=topic=12408.msg145371#msg145371 date=1317274252]
    Thanks for the links. Some very interesting reading indeed. Its really a shame the lengths people will go to for power/attention/money.


    Agreed. Thanks for the links.
Sign In or Register to comment.