Optimism ahead of pope’s visit to Turkey for reopening of Istanbul’s Greek Orthodox seminary

Statul Islamic

HEYBELIADA, Turkey (AP) — As Pope Leo XIV prepares to embark on his first trip abroad with a visit to Turkey 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 and a focal point in the push for religious freedoms in Turkey. Located on Heybeliada