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Pope Francis delivers message to Armenians
15:15 12/04/2015 >> SOCIETY
Pope Francis delivered a Message to all Armenians on Sunday,
presenting the President of Armenia, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Catholicos
Karekin II, Catholicos Aram I, and Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX, with
copies at the end of Mass marking the centenary of the Medz Yeghern in
which more than 1 million Armenians under Ottoman rule were driven
from their homes, dispossessed and killed, Vatican Radio reports.
Below, please find the full text of the Message in its official
English translation.
Dear Armenian Brothers and Sisters,
A century has passed since that horrific massacre which was a true
martyrdom of your people, in which many innocent people died as
confessors and martyrs for the name of Christ (cf. John Paul II and
Karekin II, Common Declaration, Etchmiadzin, 27 September 2001). Even
today, there is not an Armenian family untouched by the loss of loved
ones due to that tragedy: it truly was "Metz Yeghern", the "Great
Evil", as it is known by Armenians. On this anniversary, I feel a
great closeness to your people and I wish to unite myself spiritually
to the prayers which rise up from your hearts, your families and your
communities.
Today is a propitious occasion for us to pray together, as we proclaim
Saint Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Church. I wish to express my
deep gratitude for the presence here today of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Aram
I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and His Beatitude Nerses
Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics.
Saint Gregory of Narek, a monk of the tenth century, knew how to
express the sentiments of your people more than anyone. He gave voice
to the cry, which became a prayer, of a sinful and sorrowful humanity,
oppressed by the anguish of its powerlessness, but illuminated by the
splendour of God's love and open to the hope of his salvific
intervention, which is capable of transforming all things. "Through
his strength I wait with certain expectation believing with unwavering
hope that... I shall be saved by the Lord's mighty hand and... that I will
see the Lord himself in his mercy and compassion and receive the
legacy of heaven" (Saint Gregory of Narek, Book of Lamentations, XII).
Your Christian identity is indeed ancient, dating from the year 301,
when Saint Gregory the Illuminator guided Armenia to conversion and
baptism. You were the first among nations in the course of the
centuries to embrace the Gospel of Christ. That spiritual event
indelibly marked the Armenian people, as well as its culture and
history, in which martyrdom holds a preeminent place, as attested to
symbolically by the sacrificial witness of Saint Vardan and his
companions in the fifth century.
Your people, illuminated by Christ's light and by his grace, have
overcome many trials and sufferings, animated by the hope which comes
from the Cross (cf. Rom 8:31-39). As Saint John Paul II said to you,
"Your history of suffering and martyrdom is a precious pearl, of which
the universal Church is proud. Faith in Christ, man's Redeemer,
infused you with an admirable courage on your path, so often like that
of the Cross, on which you have advanced with determination, intent on
preserving your identity as a people and as believers" (Homily, 21
November 1987).
This faith also accompanied and sustained your people during the
tragic experience one hundred years ago "in what is generally referred
to as the first genocide of the twentieth century" (John Paul II and
Karekin II, Common Declaration, Etchmiadzin, 27 September 2001). Pope
Benedict XV, who condemned the First World War as a "senseless
slaughter" (AAS, IX [1917], 429), did everything in his power until
the very end to stop it, continuing the efforts at mediation already
begun by Pope Leo XIII when confronted with the "deadly events" of
1894-96. For this reason, Pope Benedict XV wrote to Sultan Mehmed V,
pleading that the many innocents be saved (cf. Letter of 10 September
1915) and, in the Secret Consistory of 6 December 1915, he declared
with great dismay, "Miserrima Armenorum gens ad interitum prope
ducitur" (AAS, VII [1915], 510).
It is the responsibility not only of the Armenian people and the
universal Church to recall all that has taken place, but of the entire
human family, so that the warnings from this tragedy will protect us
from falling into a similar horror, which offends against God and
human dignity. Today too, in fact, these conflicts at times degenerate
into unjustifiable violence, stirred up by exploiting ethnic and
religious differences. All who are Heads of State and of International
Organizations are called to oppose such crimes with a firm sense of
duty, without ceding to ambiguity or compromise.
May this sorrowful anniversary become for all an occasion of humble
and sincere reflection, and may every heart be open to forgiveness,
which is the source of peace and renewed hope. Saint Gregory of Narek,
an extraordinary interpreter of the human soul, offers words which are
prophetic for us: "I willingly blame myself with myriad accounts of
all the incurable sins, from our first forefather through the end of
his generations in all eternity, I charge myself with all these
voluntarily" (Book of Lamentations, LXXII). How striking is his sense
of universal solidarity! How small we feel before the greatness of his
invocations: "Remember, [Lord,]... those of the human race who are our
enemies as well, and for their benefit accord them pardon and mercy...
Do not destroy those who persecute me, but reform them, root out the
vile ways of this world, and plant the good in me and them" (ibid.,
LXXXIII).
May God grant that the people of Armenia and Turkey take up again the
path of reconciliation, and may peace also spring forth in Nagorno
Karabakh. Despite conflicts and tensions, Armenians and Turks have
lived long periods of peaceful coexistence in the past and, even in
the midst of violence, they have experienced times of solidarity and
mutual help. Only in this way will new generations open themselves to
a better future and will the sacrifice of so many become seeds of
justice and peace.
For us Christians, may this be above all a time of deep prayer.
Through the redemptive power of Christ's sacrifice, may the blood
which has been shed bring about the miracle of the full unity of his
disciples. In particular, may it strengthen the bonds of fraternal
friendship which already unite the Catholic Church and the Armenian
Apostolic Church. The witness of many defenceless brothers and sisters
who sacrificed their lives for the faith unites the diverse
confessions: it is the ecumenism of blood, which led Saint John Paul
II to celebrate all the martyrs of the twentieth century together
during the Jubilee of 2000. Our celebration today also is situated in
this spiritual and ecclesial context. Representatives of our two
Churches are participating in this event to which many of our faithful
throughout the world are united spiritually, in a sign which reflects
on earth the perfect communion that exists between the blessed souls
in heaven. With brotherly affection, I assure you of my closeness on
the occasion of the canonization ceremony of the martyrs of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, to be held this coming 23 April in the
Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, and on the occasion of the commemorations to
be held in Antelias in July.
I entrust these intentions to the Mother of God, in the words of Saint
Gregory of Narek:
"O Most Pure of Virgins, first among the blessed,
Mother of the unshakeable edifice of the Church,
Mother of the immaculate Word of God,
(...)
Taking refuge beneath your boundless wings which grant us the
protection of your intercession, we lift up our hands to you,
and with unquestioned hope we believe that we are saved."
(Panegyric of the Theotokos)
http://www.panorama.am/en/current_topics/2015/04/12/pope-message/
15:15 12/04/2015 >> SOCIETY
Pope Francis delivered a Message to all Armenians on Sunday,
presenting the President of Armenia, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Catholicos
Karekin II, Catholicos Aram I, and Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX, with
copies at the end of Mass marking the centenary of the Medz Yeghern in
which more than 1 million Armenians under Ottoman rule were driven
from their homes, dispossessed and killed, Vatican Radio reports.
Below, please find the full text of the Message in its official
English translation.
Dear Armenian Brothers and Sisters,
A century has passed since that horrific massacre which was a true
martyrdom of your people, in which many innocent people died as
confessors and martyrs for the name of Christ (cf. John Paul II and
Karekin II, Common Declaration, Etchmiadzin, 27 September 2001). Even
today, there is not an Armenian family untouched by the loss of loved
ones due to that tragedy: it truly was "Metz Yeghern", the "Great
Evil", as it is known by Armenians. On this anniversary, I feel a
great closeness to your people and I wish to unite myself spiritually
to the prayers which rise up from your hearts, your families and your
communities.
Today is a propitious occasion for us to pray together, as we proclaim
Saint Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Church. I wish to express my
deep gratitude for the presence here today of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Aram
I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and His Beatitude Nerses
Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics.
Saint Gregory of Narek, a monk of the tenth century, knew how to
express the sentiments of your people more than anyone. He gave voice
to the cry, which became a prayer, of a sinful and sorrowful humanity,
oppressed by the anguish of its powerlessness, but illuminated by the
splendour of God's love and open to the hope of his salvific
intervention, which is capable of transforming all things. "Through
his strength I wait with certain expectation believing with unwavering
hope that... I shall be saved by the Lord's mighty hand and... that I will
see the Lord himself in his mercy and compassion and receive the
legacy of heaven" (Saint Gregory of Narek, Book of Lamentations, XII).
Your Christian identity is indeed ancient, dating from the year 301,
when Saint Gregory the Illuminator guided Armenia to conversion and
baptism. You were the first among nations in the course of the
centuries to embrace the Gospel of Christ. That spiritual event
indelibly marked the Armenian people, as well as its culture and
history, in which martyrdom holds a preeminent place, as attested to
symbolically by the sacrificial witness of Saint Vardan and his
companions in the fifth century.
Your people, illuminated by Christ's light and by his grace, have
overcome many trials and sufferings, animated by the hope which comes
from the Cross (cf. Rom 8:31-39). As Saint John Paul II said to you,
"Your history of suffering and martyrdom is a precious pearl, of which
the universal Church is proud. Faith in Christ, man's Redeemer,
infused you with an admirable courage on your path, so often like that
of the Cross, on which you have advanced with determination, intent on
preserving your identity as a people and as believers" (Homily, 21
November 1987).
This faith also accompanied and sustained your people during the
tragic experience one hundred years ago "in what is generally referred
to as the first genocide of the twentieth century" (John Paul II and
Karekin II, Common Declaration, Etchmiadzin, 27 September 2001). Pope
Benedict XV, who condemned the First World War as a "senseless
slaughter" (AAS, IX [1917], 429), did everything in his power until
the very end to stop it, continuing the efforts at mediation already
begun by Pope Leo XIII when confronted with the "deadly events" of
1894-96. For this reason, Pope Benedict XV wrote to Sultan Mehmed V,
pleading that the many innocents be saved (cf. Letter of 10 September
1915) and, in the Secret Consistory of 6 December 1915, he declared
with great dismay, "Miserrima Armenorum gens ad interitum prope
ducitur" (AAS, VII [1915], 510).
It is the responsibility not only of the Armenian people and the
universal Church to recall all that has taken place, but of the entire
human family, so that the warnings from this tragedy will protect us
from falling into a similar horror, which offends against God and
human dignity. Today too, in fact, these conflicts at times degenerate
into unjustifiable violence, stirred up by exploiting ethnic and
religious differences. All who are Heads of State and of International
Organizations are called to oppose such crimes with a firm sense of
duty, without ceding to ambiguity or compromise.
May this sorrowful anniversary become for all an occasion of humble
and sincere reflection, and may every heart be open to forgiveness,
which is the source of peace and renewed hope. Saint Gregory of Narek,
an extraordinary interpreter of the human soul, offers words which are
prophetic for us: "I willingly blame myself with myriad accounts of
all the incurable sins, from our first forefather through the end of
his generations in all eternity, I charge myself with all these
voluntarily" (Book of Lamentations, LXXII). How striking is his sense
of universal solidarity! How small we feel before the greatness of his
invocations: "Remember, [Lord,]... those of the human race who are our
enemies as well, and for their benefit accord them pardon and mercy...
Do not destroy those who persecute me, but reform them, root out the
vile ways of this world, and plant the good in me and them" (ibid.,
LXXXIII).
May God grant that the people of Armenia and Turkey take up again the
path of reconciliation, and may peace also spring forth in Nagorno
Karabakh. Despite conflicts and tensions, Armenians and Turks have
lived long periods of peaceful coexistence in the past and, even in
the midst of violence, they have experienced times of solidarity and
mutual help. Only in this way will new generations open themselves to
a better future and will the sacrifice of so many become seeds of
justice and peace.
For us Christians, may this be above all a time of deep prayer.
Through the redemptive power of Christ's sacrifice, may the blood
which has been shed bring about the miracle of the full unity of his
disciples. In particular, may it strengthen the bonds of fraternal
friendship which already unite the Catholic Church and the Armenian
Apostolic Church. The witness of many defenceless brothers and sisters
who sacrificed their lives for the faith unites the diverse
confessions: it is the ecumenism of blood, which led Saint John Paul
II to celebrate all the martyrs of the twentieth century together
during the Jubilee of 2000. Our celebration today also is situated in
this spiritual and ecclesial context. Representatives of our two
Churches are participating in this event to which many of our faithful
throughout the world are united spiritually, in a sign which reflects
on earth the perfect communion that exists between the blessed souls
in heaven. With brotherly affection, I assure you of my closeness on
the occasion of the canonization ceremony of the martyrs of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, to be held this coming 23 April in the
Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, and on the occasion of the commemorations to
be held in Antelias in July.
I entrust these intentions to the Mother of God, in the words of Saint
Gregory of Narek:
"O Most Pure of Virgins, first among the blessed,
Mother of the unshakeable edifice of the Church,
Mother of the immaculate Word of God,
(...)
Taking refuge beneath your boundless wings which grant us the
protection of your intercession, we lift up our hands to you,
and with unquestioned hope we believe that we are saved."
(Panegyric of the Theotokos)
http://www.panorama.am/en/current_topics/2015/04/12/pope-message/