Archbishop Damianos of Sinai announced he is beginning the process to choose his successor, signaling a resolution to a deepening crisis at the historic Monastery of St Catherine in Sinai.

“I forgive everyone and ask for forgiveness from all,” he wrote in a letter that followed days of intense negotiations.

The announcement came after messages from both Athens and the Ecumenical Patriarchate indicated their support for him was not unconditional.

Talks accelerated Wednesday after the Patriarchate of Jerusalem summoned Damianos for explanations, seen as an attempt to strengthen its influence in Sinai.

A framework agreement was reached later that day, backed by a statement from Greece’s Education Ministry.

The ministry said monks agreed to recognize the monastery’s Greek property rights and to work toward resolving disputes stemming from an Egyptian court decision over its ownership status.

Damianos said the monks now share “common positions” including rejecting the court ruling, securing recognition of the monastery’s legal status in both Egypt and Greece, protecting relics, and maintaining its autonomy under a 1972 Ecumenical Patriarchate decree.

He vowed succession steps “must be completed quickly,” with details to follow in coordination with Egyptian and Greek authorities.