“The first genocide of the 20th Century was that of the Armenians,” says Pope Francis. Pope Francis, during a meeting Monday with a delegation led by Nerses Bedros XIX, Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholics at the Vatican reiterated his earlier recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
During the visit, the pope met with members of the
delegation, when one of them said that she was a descendant of Genocide
victims, to which the pontiff responded: “The first genocide of the 20th Century
was that of the Armenians,” thus reiterating his earlier recognition of the
Armenian Genocide while he headed the Catholic Church in Buenos Aires as
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio.
Seven years ago, during events marking the 91st
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Buenos Aires, then Archbishop of Buenos
Aires Jorge Mario Bergoglio urged Turkey to recognize the Genocide as the
“gravest crime of Ottoman Turkey against the Armenian people and the entire
humanity.”
Director of the Armenian National Committee of South
America, Dr. Alfonso Tabakian explained that this was the first such statement
from the pontiff since being elevated to pope and leader of the Roman Catholic
Church.
Tabakian called the statement “very important since his
words transcend any state or religion.”
“This recognition of the Armenian Genocide as the first
genocide of the twentieth century reaffirms the statements of John Paul II
[which were made] upon his arrival in Armenia on September 25, 2001,
demonstrating that more and more states, parliaments and international
organizations are adopting this position against the denial of history
perpetrated by the Turkish State,” added Tabakian.
During the visit, Nerses Bedros XIX presented the pope
with a painting depicting Jesus Christ on the crucifix.
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