Inauguration of Gregory of Narek statue in Vatican is highly anticipated event – La Stampa’s coverage

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, has touched upon the upcoming inauguration of the 2-meter bronze statue of Gregory of Narek in Vatican, an event which will take place April 5.

La Stampa says that Pope Francis will attend the inauguration ceremony.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will arrive to Vatican to attend the inauguration, who will be hosted by the Pope in the morning of April 5. Later the Pope will meet with Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, La Stampa reports.

The newspaper underscores that the erection of the statue of Gregory of Narek in the heart of Vatican was the wish of President Sargsyan, a desire which he mentioned back in June of 2016 when Pope Francis visited Armenia – the first Christian country.

During the visit the Armenian President had given a small model of a statue of Gregory of Narek as a gift to the Pope as gratitude for proclaiming the Armenian saint a Doctor of the Church in 2015.

La Stampa also cited Armenia’s Ambassador to Vatican Michael Minasyan as saying that the sculptor of the statue is the same person who created the smaller model which was given to the Pope.

The sculptor of the statue is Davit Yerevantsi.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan