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ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟ
ΑΠΟΔΗΜΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ (ΣΑΕ) COUNCIL
OF HELLENES ABROAD (SAE) Press Release, March 29, 2002
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SAE America supports the reopening of the Halki Theological School and urges all Hellenes in Diaspora to sign the petition The Theological School of Halki, located on the Island of Halki, near Istanbul, Turkey, had been a fountain of education for Orthodox Hierarchs for 127 years (1844-1971) until the Turkish Government ordered it to cease functioning in 1971. It contains an irreplaceable library of rare and unique books and publications, which were an integral part of the highest quality education for Orthodox Hierarchs. Thus, Christian Orthodoxy, one of the world’s major religions with over 300,000,000 followers worldwide, has been deprived of the major source of education for future Hierarchs. SAE America represents Hellenes, which are the vast majority among the 7,000,000 Orthodox Christians all throughout the American Continent. SAE America wholeheartedly supports the international effort to effectively document to the Republic of Turkey the benefits this Theological School of Halki provides to the world so that it will allow the Orthodox Patriarchate to reopen the School as an Orthodox Seminary. We urge all Hellenes in Diaspora to sign the petition (electronic or paper) which can be found at the web site of the Hellenic Electronic Center (HEC) at the following address: www.greece.org/themis/halki. “It is time for the government of Turkey to show that Turkey is indeed a modern democracy which subscribes to the international standards for religious freedom” said Chris Tomaras, Vice President of SAE and Chairman of SAE’s Coordinating Council for North and South America.
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 action@hec.greece.org
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