The reopening of the Halki Theological School and the protection of Christian communities in the Middle East were at the centre of a meeting between Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Riley Barnes at the State Department, the archdiocese announced on Thursday.

The meeting was held at the invitation of the U.S. official and focused more broadly on the protection of religious freedoms and the rights of religious communities. Particular reference was made to efforts to reopen the Halki Theological School, with the Archdiocese describing developments in this direction as “particularly encouraging.”

On his part, Archbishop Elpidophoros stressed that the issue of Halki concerns not only the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church, but is more broadly linked to religious freedoms and the protection of human rights.

The situation of Christian communities in the Middle East was also discussed. The two sides examined the need to protect the security and religious freedom of the region’s historic Christian communities, with an emphasis on preserving the Christian presence in places where it dates back to apostolic times.

As was stressed, the goal is to ensure conditions that allow these communities to live, freely practice their faith and continue their work in security and peace.