Pope Francis arrives in Armenian Presidential Palace

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. Pope Francis is arriving in the Armenian Presidential Palace, where a welcoming ceremony will take place. A private meeting with President Sargsyan is scheduled, after which the President and the Pope will make announcements for Armenian officials, foreign diplomats and representatives of the society.

Afterwards Pope Francis will return to the Mother See Residence, which is his official residence during the visit.

Pope Francis will visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial on June 25. Later on the same day, a mass will be held in Gyumri’s Vardanants Square. A number of other events are scheduled to take place in Gyumri, after which the Pope will return to Yerevan, where the most important and most open event for the society during his visit will take place in the Republic Square.

A peace prayer will be delivered, which will be preceded and followed by a joint festive concert of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Choir – dedicated to Pope Francis’ visit to Armenia.

In the morning of June 26, a mass will be held in Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin, which will be delivered by His Holiness Catholicos Garegin II with Pope Francis.

Several events will be held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin, after which Pope Francis and Catholicos Garegin II will visit one of the most important shrines of the Armenian people and the Armenian Apostolic Church – Khor Virap- where they will pray together and release doves towards Ararat. Afterwards the Pope will head to the airport to return to Rome.