President supports initiative for canonization of Genocide victims

September 24, 2013 - 19:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Serzh Sargsyan supports the initiative of canonization of the Armenian Genocide victims, suggested by the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I.

As the Armenian leader stated at opening of Bishops’ Synod of Armenian Apostolic Church, “on the eve of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, our entire nations continues to say “No” to the crimes against humanity. It is our duty to our forefathers, to the innocent victims and the entire humankind so that new genocides may be prevented in the future. Our entire nation has major anticipations from the Armenian Church and its Bishops in this matter.”

“Devastating civil war is ongoing in Syria; it has become a grave challenge for the Armenian-Syrian community. Situation in Syria is our greatest pain and our key concern every day. At the direst times for our nation, the people of Syria received with open arms those who narrowly escaped the Genocide and shared whatever they had with us. We hope that the situation will be resolved through political means for the bloodshed to stop in this friendly state,” the President said.

“The responsibility to preserve the Christian faith, love and morals, our devotion as the apple of our eyes is a blessing for us all,” the Armenian leader concluded.

Holy Etchmiadzin hosted the opening of the Bishops’ Synod of the Armenian Apostolic Church, with top clergymen worldwide attending the event.

Presiding over the Synod to be held September 24 through 27 are the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and Catholicos Aram I, of the Great House of Cilicia.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.