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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of Pope Francis’s visit to the United States, the local Armenian Community thanked Pope Francis for recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
“Armenpress” reports that the executive director of Armenian National Committee of America Aram Hamparian posted a photo where a poster is hanging on the wall of the office of the committee which reads “Thank You, Pope Francis, for Recognizing the Armenian Genocide.”
In April 2015, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis called the Armenian Genocide “the first genocide of the 20th century.” The event was unprecedented because, for the first time in history, the Pope mentioned the Armenian Genocide in his liturgy. “Pope Francis called on all states’ leadership, international organizations, and world peace-loving communities, to recognize the truth and to oppose such offenses,” said Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, the founding president of Peace of Art, Inc. “Such a brave statement by the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, definitely deserves high respect and appreciation.”