Ecumenical patriarch seeks Halki progress

The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual person of the World’s Orthodox Christian community, pressed for advancement connected reopening the Halki Theological School successful Turkey during a White House gathering with US President Donald Trump connected Monday, describing the brushwood arsenic cordial and respectful.

“It was a very warm atmosphere. The president welcomed us with cordiality and respect. The vice president was besides particularly warm,” helium said astatine a property league afterward.

Bartholomew said helium briefed Trump connected the Halki issue, noting that “a dialog began past year with the inaugural of President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan,” and adding, “We want to expedite this dialog so that successful September 2026 we tin welcome the archetypal students.”

According to reports, Trump asked aides to hole a briefing so helium could rise the substance with Erdogan.

The Halki Theological School was unopen down successful 1971 by the Turkish government. It served arsenic the main theological schoolhouse for the Eastern Orthodox Church’s Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, gathering the acquisition needs of the Patriarchate and Orthodox Christianity broadly.

Turning to the situation of Christians successful Turkey and the Middle East, Bartholomew described their dwindling numbers. “We are very fewer remaining Christians… possibly astir 1% of the country’s colonisation of astir 84 million. We are a driblet successful the ocean,” helium said.

Despite hardships, helium added, Christians person endured successful Turkey for 1,700 years and “hope to stay there indefinitely.”