At the foot of Mount Sinai -- where Moses is believed to have heard the voice of God -- stands one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. For nearly 1,500 years, the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery have kept watch over sacred ground, stewarding the faith through centuries of empire, conquest, and modern upheaval. Their presence is a living testimony, not just to history, but to holiness.

Now, that sacred presence is under threat.

On May 28, 2025, an Egyptian court ruled to transfer ownership of St. Catherine’s Monastery and its assets to the state. Though the government claims the ruling “preserves” the monastery’s religious status, those who know the region -- and the track record of governments that feign protection while eroding autonomy -- understand the danger. The Greek Orthodox Church and Greek government have sounded the alarm, warning that this move could lead to the eviction of the monastic community and the quiet conversion of the site into a museum. The monks may not be forcibly removed today, but the legal groundwork has been laid. The state now holds the keys.

This is not just a land dispute. This is a battle over spiritual sovereignty.

Founded in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian I, St. Catherine’s is one of the longest continually operating Christian institutions on earth. Its libraries contain ancient texts, including the Codex Sinaiticus -- one of the earliest known biblical manuscripts. The monastery’s very existence links us to the early Church, to a time when the faith was forged through fire and perseverance. To reduce this holy sanctuary to a state-owned tourist site is not just a desecration -- it’s a form of erasure.

And yet, much of the world is silent.

There will be no emergency UN session. No celebrity social media campaigns. No global media outcry. The assault on Christianity, especially in the Middle East and Africa, is too often met with a shrug. When churches are burned in Nigeria, when believers are slaughtered in the Congo, when Christian refugees are ignored in Syria -- governments yawn. Now, when a court hands over Mount Sinai to a secular state, we’re told not to worry. It’s just paperwork.

But it’s not just paperwork. It’s precedent.

If they can take Sinai, what’s left that’s off limits? The land where Moses stood barefoot is not just a historic site -- it is holy ground. And while Egypt’s government assures the public that the monastery’s status will be preserved, anyone familiar with authoritarian overreach knows this pattern well: first control, then containment, then repurposing.

We’ve seen this before. Sacred spaces quietly absorbed by state institutions. Crosses replaced with plaques. Faith reframed as folklore. Erased, not by fire or force, but by legal fiction.

The Church must not be silent here. Nor should our leaders. Egypt claims to be a friend to the West. True friends do not lay claim to our sacred inheritance under the guise of stewardship. True partners do not hide behind legal rulings while gutting the living core of faith.

Thankfully, we now have a president who leads differently.

President Trump has been unwavering in his commitment to protect religious freedom at home and abroad. While there has not yet been an official statement regarding St. Catherine’s Monastery, this is precisely the kind of moment that calls for the strength and clarity his administration has promised. With the recent formation of the Religious Liberty Commission, the administration now has the opportunity to respond boldly -- to defend Christian heritage and stand against legal erasure masked as protection.

We need that clarity now. We need that strength now.

St. Catherine’s is more than stone. More than scrolls. It is a heartbeat of the Church. Its walls have heard prayers for 1,500 years. Its monks have endured empires and protected the flame. They are not tourists. They are guardians.

The question now is whether we will keep watch with them -- or whether we will, once again, let the Christian faith be quietly swept aside.

Wendy Kinney is a Christian, legal strategist, attorney, and entrepreneur committed to free speech, financial freedom, and the Constitution. As Founder & CEO of Revere Payments, she protects businesses from financial censorship, ensuring American enterprises remain free.

She speaks truth to power with conviction, standing firm in faith, justice, and the unwavering belief that freedom must always be defended. Her work is rooted in light, guided by principle, and fearless in the fight for truth.

Image: Adrien Egron