Pope in Armenia. Francis paid tribute to the victims of the massacre of Armenians – Polish Radio

The Pope on the second day of his visit to Armenia, on Saturday paid tribute to the victims of the massacre of Armenians a century ago, which was the day before in a speech to the authorities of the country called genocide. Then celebrated mass in the second largest city in the country, Gyumri.

 
 

In the morning, the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, Francis visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial, commemorating the more than one million victims of the massacres of Armenians in the early twentieth century. The Holy Father was accompanied by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and superior Armenian Church Karekin II.

 

The pope laid a wreath and two roses: white and yellow. Then, together with the Patriarch of the Armenian Church, he said a prayer, “Our Father.”

 

Francis also met with dozens of descendants of Armenians who were children in 1919 found refuge in the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo during the pontificate of Benedict XV and Pius XI.

During a visit to the memorial pope made no speeches. With participants of the ceremony to pray for the victims of the massacre.

The Memorial Book accrual wrote: “I pray here with pain in my heart, that never was such a tragedy like this, so that humanity not forget to She could overcome evil with good. “

Then the Holy Father flew to the city of Gyumri, called the Catholic heart of the country, where he celebrated mass. In his homily said that “particular love is the hallmark of a Christian.”

– We are primarily called to ensure that tirelessly build and rebuild roads of the community, to build bridges of unity and cross the barriers that separate – pointed out the Pope.

 

The slaughter of the Armenians

 

According to historians in the years 1915-1917 made by the Turkish forces massacres and deportations lost their lives approx. 1.5 million Armenian inhabitants of the then Ottoman Empire.

 

Being the legal successor of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey objects to the use of the term genocide in relation to the events of the century.

The slaughter of Armenians is the second after the Holocaust the best documented and described genocide made by the state on the ethnic group in modern times.

 

15 years ago in Armenia was John Paul II who first made by the Turkish massacre of Armenians called the crime of genocide.

Pope Francis in Armenia

the Holy father began his fourteenth trip abroad on Friday. Pilgrimage after Armenia held under the slogan “Visit the first Christian country”.

The first in the history of Armenia adopted Christianity, and in 301 years it has established a state religion. In the video message, which Francis addressed to Armenians prior to departure from the Vatican he announced that arrives as a pilgrim in the jubilee year, to draw from the ancient wisdom of the people and quench your thirst at the sources of the faith.

Armenia is the first step in papal trip to the Caucasus. At the turn of September and October visit it yet Georgia and Azerbaijan.

IAR, PAP, kk