Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Orthodox Theological School of Halki in the Republic of Turkey be reopened in order to promote religious freedom.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should use its influence with the Government of Turkey and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to suggest that the Turkish Government: (1) assure that steps are taken to reopen the Theological School of Halki; (2) provide for the protection and safety of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Patriarchate personnel, and visitors; and (3) establish conditions to ensure that the Patriarchate is free to carry out its religious mission.

[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 345 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 345

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Orthodox Theological 
   School of Halki in the Republic of Turkey be reopened in order to 
                       promote religious freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2002

  Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Crowley, and Mrs. 
  Maloney of New York) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Orthodox Theological 
   School of Halki in the Republic of Turkey be reopened in order to 
                       promote religious freedom.

Whereas the Theological School of Halki, located on the island of Halki in the 
        Republic of Turkey, was preceded by the Monastery of the Trinity which 
        was founded by Patriarch Photius I and characterized as a ``stadium of 
        wisdom'' for its large library and the men who studied there;
Whereas the monastery was rebuilt into an Orthodox School of Theology by 
        Patriarch Germanos IV and rededicated on September 23, 1844, nurturing 
        men of merit, educators, and scholars for 127 years;
Whereas the Theological School of Halki, which in its official title is called 
        ``Seminary'', was closed in 1971 by Turkish authorities under a law 
        requiring that higher education in religion and military training be 
        controlled by the state;
Whereas Turkish law requires that the Patriarch, as well as all the clergy, 
        faculty, and students of the Theological School of Halki be citizens of 
        Turkey;
Whereas the Theological School of Halki is the only educational institution for 
        Orthodox Christian leadership in Turkey;
Whereas the Theological School of Halki also contains one of the richest 
        libraries in the world in rare and precious works, while there are 
        approximately 14 employees and 4 clerics who currently maintain the 
        School;
Whereas the closing of the Theological School of Halki is a serious concern for 
        the Ecumenical Patriarchate and all Orthodox Christians worldwide;
Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate is the spiritual center for more than 
        300,000,000 Orthodox Christians worldwide, including approximately 
        5,000,000 Orthodox Christians in the United States;
Whereas since its closure, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been deprived of all 
        the adequate means to educate its clergy (from among whom the next 
        Ecumenical Patriarch will have to be selected), a right enjoyed by 
        Turkish citizens of the Muslim faith;
Whereas as a result of the closing of the Theological School of Halki, the 
        Patriarchate has been compelled to train its religious personnel abroad;
Whereas His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I received the Congressional Gold 
        Medal in October 1997 for his efforts to promote freedom and religious 
        tolerance around the world;
Whereas the closing of the Theological School of Halki is in violation of 
        international treaties to which Turkey is a signatory, including the 
        Treaty of Lausanne, the 1968 Protocol, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, 
        and the Charter of Paris;
Whereas section 2804 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 
        (Public Law 105-277; 112 Stat. 2681-846) calls upon the United States to 
        use its influence with the Government of Turkey to guarantee the 
        security of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul and to reopen the 
        Theological School of Halki;
Whereas in November 1998, the Board of Trustees of the Patriarchal Theological 
        School of Halki was arbitrarily dismissed by the General Authority for 
        Public Institutions, an agency of the Turkish Government;
Whereas freedom of religion is a universally recognized human right and the 
        Department of State's report on international religious freedom in 
        Turkey cites the closure of the Theological School of Halki as a grave 
        infringement on religious freedom in Turkey which furthermore leads to 
        the inability of the Greek Orthodox Church to properly train new clergy 
        for eventual leadership;
Whereas the closure of the Theological School of Halki by the Government of 
        Turkey has severely compromised the mission of the Ecumenical 
        Patriarchate and the future existence of this Orthodox Christian 
        institution in Turkey;
Whereas Turkey was granted European Union candidacy status in December 1999;
Whereas Turkey's candidacy for European Union accession will be subject to the 
        full criteria established by the 1993 Copenhagen Council for all 
        candidate states, including issues concerning human rights and religious 
        freedom; and
Whereas it is in the best interests of the United States to establish peaceful 
        relations with and among the many important nations of the world that 
        have substantial Orthodox Christian populations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should use its influence with the 
        Government of Turkey and as a permanent member of the United 
        Nations Security Council to suggest that the Turkish 
        Government--
                    (A) assure that positive steps are taken to reopen 
                the Theological School of Halki;
                    (B) provide for the proper protection and safety of 
                the Ecumenical Patriarch, Patriarchate personnel, and 
                visitors from all over the world, including United 
                States citizens; and
                    (C) establish conditions to ensure that the 
                Patriarchate is free to carry out its religious 
                mission; and
            (2) the President should report to Congress on the status 
        and progress of the concerns in paragraph (1) on an annual 
        basis.
                                 <all>