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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Pope Francis and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I met at the Papal office in the Vatican on November 11, “Armenpress” was informed from the press service of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia.
After sharing greetings, Catholicos Aram I expressed his great appreciation for the Pope’s two speeches assessing the Armenian Genocide of 1915 as the first genocide of the 20th century, which he had made in 2015 at the Vatican and in 2016 in Yerevan. His Holiness Pope Francis reaffirmed his position on this matter.
Speaking of the conflicts in the Middle East and the current problems of the churches, Aram I said that the churches had endured difficulties and suffered martyrdom for centuries, and, yet presently, they remain committed to their mission. He then thanked Pope Francis and the Vatican for defending the rights of Christians in the Middle East and for supporting efforts towards Christian-Muslim cooperation and conviviality. Pope Francis stressed the vital importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East and assured the enduring solidarity of the Vatican to these efforts. In this context, the two Pontiffs emphasized the need to continue, with renewed pace, interreligious dialogue and collaboration in general, and Christian-Muslim in particular, to face together concerns and challenges of modern societies.
His Holiness Aram I speaking about the importance of the unity of the Church, pointed out that setting a common date for Easter would be a visible expression of Christian unity. The Holy Father reminded Aram I that during the last few decades the Catholic Church has given special attention to this matter and welcomes any efforts aimed at fixing a common date, which could be acceptable by all the churches.
Aram I shared with Pope Francis the good news that eventually Lebanon had a new president in the face of Gen. Michel Aoun. The Pope warmly greeted the election of a president, considering it an important step towards deepening the Christian-Muslim cohabitation in Lebanon.
Referring to the historical relations between the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Vatican, which dates back to the time of the Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I reaffirmed his commitment to continue strengthening bilateral relations and collaboration with the Vatican. At the end of their meeting, both Pontiffs reemphasized the decisive importance of taking the church to the people through the kind of initiatives, which make the church a living and relevant reality in the life of the people.