According to Associated Press, as Pope Leo XIV prepares for his first international journey — a visit to Turkey linked to a major Christian milestone that reflects the shared history of Catholics and Orthodox Christians — hopes are once again rising for the reopening of the Halki Theological School. The historic Greek Orthodox seminary has remained closed since 1971, but the Pope’s upcoming visit and recent international discussions appear to have created new momentum.
The Halki Seminary, built on Heybeliada Island (Halki island) near Constantinople, served for decades as a central institution of Orthodox theological education. Many future clerics and patriarchs studied there, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who today leads approximately 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. After the school’s closure due to laws restricting private higher education, religious leaders and human rights organizations spent decades lobbying for its reopening. Although later legal reforms permitted the establishment of private universities in Turkey, Halki remained closed.
The issue resurfaced in recent years, particularly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with then-U.S. President Donald Trump. At the time, Erdoğan stated that Turkey would “do its part” toward reopening the seminary, though he linked progress to corresponding steps by Greece concerning the rights of Muslim communities.
Today, the seminary’s building is surrounded by scaffolding as part of ongoing renovations. Inside, some spaces — including the clergy dormitories and two classrooms — have already been restored and stand ready to host students, pending an official decision to reopen.
The Pope’s visit to Turkey — where he will meet Erdoğan and join Patriarch Bartholomew in events marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea before continuing on to Lebanon — has given renewed impetus to the matter. Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has expressed strong optimism. In an interview with the Associated Press, he stated that Turkey is now “ready to take the big step for the good of the country, for the good of minorities, and for the good of religious and minority rights in this country” by reopening the seminary.
He revealed that a joint committee of representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Turkish government has already begun consultations. He expressed confidence that the school could welcome students “as early as the beginning of the next academic year.” He also described Halki’s prolonged closure as “a political and diplomatic anachronism that does not help our country,” adding: “We have so many private universities and private schools in Turkey, so keeping only Halki closed does not help Turkey, it does not help anyone.”
Archbishop Elpidophoros, who was born in Constantinople, never had the opportunity to study at Halki because it was already closed, but he served as its abbot for eight years. His connection to the seminary is deeply personal. As he put it, “The Halki Theological School is in my heart.” For him, the significance of the seminary is not limited to its past but lies in its distinct spirit, which he describes as open “to new ideas, to dialogue, and to coexistence, while rejecting nationalism and hate speech.” He concludes: “The whole world needs a school with this spirit.”
Source: apnews.com
