Cardinal also fought for survival of Old Julfa cross-stones

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS: President ofthe Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi is of the opinion that the Armenian cross-stones spread in the entire territory of Armenia and throughout the world voice about the Armenian history, Armenpress reports.

The Cardinal is sorry that in consequence of clashes of peoples, such atrocities happen, when Armenian cross-stones are eliminated.

“I am full of hope that the meeting of the two presidents due in Paris will be crucial in preventing repetition of similar crimes in future. As president ofthe Pontifical Council for Culture, I myself applied to the UNESCO Secretary General years ago so that everything possible is done for saving those historical documents – Julfa cross-stones,” Gianfranco Ravasi said in answer to the question on how he treats the annihilation of the Julfa cross-stones by Azerbaijan.

Over 10 thousand cross-stones have been calculated in the territory of Old Julfa (Old Jugha), which have been destroyed in different periods of time. The latest annihilation by the Azerbaijani government took place in 2005-2006, when the Armenian cemetery of Julfa together with thousands of cross-stones was destroyed.