Aram I Thanks Pope for Support on Armenian Genocide Issue

Aram I has expressed gratitude to the Pope for his support regarding the Armenian Genocide issue. This was announced by the Cilician Catholicosate.

“The official words were exchanged following a private meeting between the two spiritual leaders, in the presence of members of the delegation of His Holiness and representatives from the Vatican. His Holiness emphasized the historical relationship between the Armenian Church and the Vatican, which expanded significantly during the time of the Cilician Kingdom, after the 11th century. This relationship was further developed through inter-church movements and found expression in theological dialogues and inter-church meetings and partnerships.

Aram I, the Catholicos, then addressed two important points:

1. He warmly thanked the Vatican for its support regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the restoration of the rights of the Armenian people, as well as for its support of the right to self-determination for the people of Artsakh.
2. The Archbishop welcomed the Vatican’s support regarding Lebanon, recalling that Lebanon holds an important place in the life of the whole Armenian nation, having been the center of the Armenian people's revival after the Genocide. He also highlighted the significance of Lebanon as a country of Christian-Muslim coexistence.

Emphasizing the particular importance of inter-church relationships, Aram I stated that the Cilician Catholicosate will continue its close cooperation with the Vatican and, in general, with the Catholic Church with the same spirit and commitment.

Pope Leo XIII, in his message, also touched upon specifically the relationships between the Armenian Church and the Catholic Church during the Cilician period and their development when the Cilician Catholicosate was relocated to Antelias, Lebanon. Within this context, he welcomed Aram I's significant role in the inter-church movement, particularly regarding the World Council of Churches and expanding cooperation with the Catholic Church.

He also referenced Saint Nerses the Gracious as a champion of inter-church relations and, on the occasion of the visit of the Holy Father, announced for the first time that the Catholic Church has included Saint Nerses the Gracious in the Roman Church's liturgical calendar, and henceforth, his commemoration will also be observed by the Catholic Church.

The Pope underscored the importance of Lebanon both for the region’s Christianity and for Christian-Muslim coexistence. Following the exchange of official words, the Holy Father introduced the members of the delegation of sacred fathers. Subsequently, gifts were exchanged: the Catholicos presented the Pope with a copy of the Gospel of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, prepared by the Catholicosate, while the Pope gifted a bronze sculpture representing the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.

Next, a united ecclesiastical ceremony was held in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, presided over by Pope Leo XIII and Aram I, featuring prayers and hymns specifically taken from Armenian church rites.