Halki

Published by The National Herald, November 26, 2004

The theological school at Halki

Since 1971, when the Turkish Government closed down the famous Halki School of Theology, whose graduates include many patriarchs and many more priests and bishops filling the clerical needs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, many false hopes have circulated to the effect that the school would soon reopen, and then perhaps not.

The real hope of finally opening the school back up came when Turgut Ozal, an unusually enlightened Prime Minister of Turkey, let it been known - some in a position to know would say promised - that he would reopen it. His sudden death, however, put to rest that hope.

This past week, the New York Times devoted almost an entire page to the issue of minority rights in Turkey, including the Greeks and the Theological School issue, once again bringing news that this time, finally, Turkey will have to give into the spirit of the times and reopen the School under pressure from the European Union, which it hopes to join.

On December 17, the E.U. is expected to decide on what type of relationship - if any - between Turkey and Europe.

This whole story reminds us of a cat-and-mouse game, a game which goes on for sometime, to the detriment of the mouse, for it is either prevented from exiting its hole to look for food, or from escaping back into its hole for shelter, while the Cat patiently bides its time one way or the other.

We understand why the Patriarchate wants to see the theological school open. But we are not at all certain if the prospect would be a long-term solution to the ever-decreasing number of new priests the Patriarchate continues to experience due to the diminishing number of Greeks living in Turkey.

An alternative, multi-beneficial solution would be for the Patriarchate to push for upgrading our Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts and help turn it into a first-rate preparatory school for future priests; a real seminary, in other words, which would attract would-be priests from all over the world, including from the Greek minority of Turkey.

This potential solution could also help resolve one of the most sensitive and far-reaching issues facing the Church here in America.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given more than just hints that he is in favor of reopening the Patriarchal Seminary at Halki. For whatever reason, however, nothing has happened.

We cannot realistically expect Turkey to make any such gesture anytime soon. On the contrary, as we have stressed in this column in the past, we should expect Greek-Turkish tensions to build up as Turkey approaches the key date of December 17.

If given a signal for eventually entering the E.U., Turkey might moderate her aggressive actions. If not, then things will only get worse. Much worse.



Volume 6 Number 48 - Tuesday, November 30th, 2004	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY