Its history dates back to 330 A.D., when Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the new city of Constantinople. Since then, the Patriarchate of Constantinople has been the spiritual center of Orthodox Christians worldwide, its influence spanning from Russia to the United States, and from Finland to South Africa. The Patriarchate has suffered terrible hardships under the Ottoman yoke first, and the Turkish Republic later. Numerous Patriarchs, hundreds of Bishops, thousands of priests, monks and nuns were executed, imprisoned or exiled. Many Patriarchs and Bishops were deposed.
Persecution continues even today.
The lengthy resolution enumerates established charges against the Turkish authorities and said it is in the best interests of the United States to prevent further incidents regarding the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual leader, it noted, of millions of US citizens. The Turkish Government arbitrarily closed the Chalke Patriarchal School of Theology in 1971. The School was established in 1844 as the principal educational foundation for the Patriarchate's clergy. Many Patriarchs of the Orthodox Church throughout the world, as well as many Orthodox Bishops in the United States, have graduated from the School of Chalke. Since 1971, Turkey refuses to re-open the School, in spite of the continuous requests by Patriarch Vartholomeos I and his predecessor, Patriarch Dimitrios.