Patriarch Bartholomew discusses reopening of Halki Seminary with PACE leadership

Patriarch Bartholomew with a delegation of PACE parliamentarians. Photo: Vima Orthodoxias

Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed Petra Bayr and a delegation of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Istanbul. The parties discussed the protection of human rights and the reopening of the theological school on the island of Halki, according to the UOJ Greece.

Greek MP Giannis Oikonomou said that participants in the meeting described the reopening of the school as an event of enormous significance for Orthodox Christians worldwide. Patriarch Bartholomew briefed the European representatives on the details of ongoing discussions with the Turkish authorities on the issue. The interlocutors also addressed environmental concerns and the rule of law.

The Turkish authorities shut down the theological school on Halki in 1971. The issue has remained a subject of international diplomatic pressure ever since, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate has spent decades calling for the restoration of theological education there.

As previously reported by the UOJ, a U.S. Assistant Secretary of State met with Patriarch Bartholomew at the Phanar.

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