NEW YORK - Today, His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America expressed the profound gratitude of the Greek Orthodox People of America over the decision to restore the Board of Trustees to their rightful position at the Theological School of Halki. In a statement released today, His Eminence also reiterated the unanimous consensus of both the Orthodox Church worldwide and the people of the United States that Halki be reopened. The complete text of the statement follows:

"We have received from Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman the happy news that the Board of Trustees of our beloved Theological School of Halki is to be reinstated. We welcome this official decision of the Turkish Government as being a positive step in the right direction for the good of the whole community. We commend their political leadership for their cooperation and involvement in this particular instance resolving the issue of the Board of Trustees. We must express our thanks and profound gratitude to our fellow Americans, who through our Government have worked tirelessly to see this result come about. We thank our beloved brothers in Christ the Metropolitans of the Holy Eparchial Synod for their efforts to further the cause of Halki. We are also grateful to our Orthodox brothers and sisters, the Hierarchs of the SCOBA (Standing Conference of Canonical Bishops in the Americas), and countless community activists. We also wish to express our deep gratitude to the leaders of American religious communities for their active support.

"As we look forward to further progress, let us re-commit ourselves to envisioning Halki open again. Let us work for that day, a day which will bode well for the Orthodox Church all over the world, and for the community of free people everywhere."