A Catholic pontiff's visit to Türkiye instills hope in the Orthodox community. As Pope Leo XIV prepares to embark on his first trip abroad with a visit to Türkiye to mark a key event that shaped the foundations of Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, there has been a surge of renewed optimism over the possible reopening of a Greek Orthodox religious seminary that has been closed since 1971.
The Halki Theological School has become a symbol of Orthodox heritage in Türkiye. Located on Heybeliada Island, off the coast of Istanbul, the seminary once trained generations of Greek Orthodox patriarchs and clergy. They include Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Türkiye closed the school under laws restricting private higher education in the 1970s.
Momentum for reopening it appeared to grow after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in September. Erdoğan said Türkiye would "do our part” regarding its reopening. Erdoğan had previously linked the move to reciprocal measures from Greece to improve the rights of Turks and Muslims there.
The school, which was founded in 1844, stands surrounded by scaffolding as renovation work continues. Inside, one floor that serves as the clergy quarters and two classrooms have already been completed, standing ready to welcome students once the seminary reopens.
During his visit to Türkiye, starting on Nov. 27, Leo is scheduled to meet Erdoğan and join Patriarch Bartholomew in commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, in a pilgrimage honoring Christianity’s theological roots. He will then travel to Lebanon for the second leg of his trip.
Türkiye is now "ready to make the big step forward for the benefit of Türkiye, for the benefit of the minorities and for the benefit of religious and minority rights in this country” by reopening the seminary, Archbishop Elpidophoros, head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, told The Associated Press (AP) in a video interview from his base in New York.
A committee of representatives from the Istanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Turkish government has begun discussions on the reopening, Elpidophoros said, expressing optimism that the school could welcome students again by the start of the next academic year.
Since coming to power in 2002, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments have enacted reforms to improve the rights of religious groups, including opening places of worship and returning some property that was confiscated by the state in the past decades.
At the shuttered seminary, Agnes Kaltsogianni, a visitor from Greece, said the seminary was important for both Greece and Türkiye, and its reopening could be a basis for improved ties between the two longtime rival countries.
"There should be a gradual improvement between the two countries on all levels, and this (place) can be a starting point for major cultural development and affinity,” said the 48-year-old English teacher.
Elpidoporos, 57, was too young to make it to Halki and was forced to study to join the clergy in a Greek seminary. However, he served as abbot of the Halki monastery for eight years before his appointment as archbishop of America. "The Theological School of Halki is in my heart,” he said.
Asked about the significance of the school for the Greek Orthodox community, Elpidophoros said Halki represents a "spirit” that is open to new ideas, dialogue and coexistence, while rejecting nationalist and religious prejudice, and hate speech. "The entire world needs a school with this spirit,” he said.
