Bishop Orazio Francesco Piazza of Viterbo to arrive in Armenia on pilgrimage

Bishop Orazio Francesco Piazza of Viterbo will arrive in Armenia on a pilgrimage on July 5.

According to Assadakah News, this will be the first visit in the history of the Diocese of Viterbo and carries a deeply spiritual meaning. The bishop compares the journey to the symbolic experience of touching Mount Ararat, calling it not tourism, but an “entry into civilization.”

He described the trip as a lifelong dream finally coming true.

“When you pursue a dream your entire life, there comes a moment when you have to fulfill it and move forward. This was a necessity - to communicte with a people who have preserved their identity through time and upheaval, enduring violence, dispersion, and oblivion,” the bishop said.

He will be accompanied by several clergymen. In his view, the pilgrimage is not only an opportunity to explore the Armenian rite and spiritual depth but also a chance to understand the historical and cultural identity of a nation that has suffered and been martyred over the centuries.

Bishop Piazza shared that one of his Armenian fellow bishops once told him:
“It is not possible to visit Armenia only once. The impressions it leaves require a second visit to fully grasp the full picture.”

The bishop rejected the notion that the Vatican has forgotten the Armenians, recalling that several Popes, including Pope Francis, were among the first to use the term “genocide” to describe the events happened to the Armenian people. He emphasized that what matters most is living memory and direct recognition.

He described Armenia as an example of spiritual, social, and cultural stability in a world where identity is often lost. According to Bishop Piazza, the image of Saint Gregory the Illuminator is central to understanding Armenian reality.