Pope Francis Visited the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial Complex

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin – June 2016

On June 25, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; visited the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial Complex, where the two Pontiffs were met by Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia and the First Lady Ms. Rita Sargsyan.

A solemn procession of clergy, led by honour guards, walked to the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument. Children with icons of the Armenian Genocide victims were standing on the path to the Memorial Complex. Following a wreath placing in memory of the martyrs, the national anthem of the Vatican was performed.

Under the presidency of His Holiness and Pope Francis, an Intercessional Rite of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was offered in front of the eternal flame. The choir of Holy Etchmiadzin sang the hymn “Hrashatsan pakutsmamb”, which is dedicated to the Saintly Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. Bible passages, psalms and remarks were read by the clergy of the two Churches.

The ceremony ended with a prayer by Pope Francis, through which the Pope of Roman Catholic Church asked for the intercession of the holy martyrs, for the Armenian nation and the whole world.

Following the service, the Armenian duduk was played by renowned artist Mr. Jivan Gasparyan; and honorable artists Mr. Gevork Dabaghyan and Mr. Kamo Seyranyan.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the RA President and two Pontiffs visited the Memorial Park in memories of the Genocide victims in Armenia, where the Pope blessed an evergreen tree planted in his name.

At the end of the visit to Tsitsernakaberd, a group of descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors approached Pope Francis, whose ancestors sought shelter in the Papal Castel Gandolfo castle-summerhouse during the years of genocide, by the decision of Pope Pius XI.

Pope Francis also toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute exhibition and wrote a note in the register of memories and it stated in part:

“Here I pray with pain in my heart, so that never more will there be tragedies like this, so that humanity does not forget and knows how to overcome the evil with good.

May God grant the beloved Armenian people and the entire world peace and consolation. May God protect the memory of the Armenian people.

Memory should not be diluted or forgotten, memory is source of peace and the future”.

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