Pope's Armenia visit to celebrate peace, focus on ecumenism

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, on Tuesday, June 21 briefed journalists on Pope Francis’ 3-day visit to Armenia taking place from June24-26, Vatican Radio reports.

He said the papal visit underlines peace and the Pope’s desire to show his closeness to the entire nation of Armenia, whose people have suffered so much during their long history.

Father Lombardi noted that the Pope’s visit to Armenia should be considered as the first part of a trip that will take him to three nations in the Caucasus region in 2016. The second leg will take place from September 30 to October 2 when the Pope will travel to Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Ecumenism is a key focus of the Pope’s journey to Armenia that follows a visit to the Vatican in April 2015 by Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, during which a Mass was celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the centenary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

During his trip to Armenia, the Pope will meet descendants of those killed during the massacre when he travels to a memorial complex at Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan, Vatican Radio says.

Other highlights of the Pope’s program during his visit to Armenia include the Pope’s meeting with the civil and religious authorities including the Catholicos and other representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Pope will also visit Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, where he will hold an open-air mass before returning to the capital to attend an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace.

On his final day, the Pope will visit the Khor Virap monastery near the Turkish border where he will release doves in the direction of Mount Ararat.