ROME, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse Anna Hakobyan visited the S. Nicola da Tolentino Armenian Catholic Church and the Levonyan Pontifical Armenian College (Collegio Armeno) in Rome within the framework of the official visit to Italy.

Father Raphael Archbishop Minassian, the Bishop of Armenian Catholics in Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Vardapet Narek Namoyan welcomed the Armenian Premier at the church. The local Armenian community was also gathered to meet the Prime Minister.

Vardapet Narek Namoyan said in his speech that Armenians’ presence in Rome has a long history. “Numerous generations of Armenian clergy were educated at the 150-year-old Levonyan College, generations who have served the Armenian people as pastors and scholars, even putting themselves in [harm’s way] to preserve and protect faith, language and national values.  Foreign and domestic adversaries were attempting to strike this fortress, but it continues to remain committed to its pro-Armenian mission,” Namoyan said.

In his remarks, PM Nikol Pashinyan said that in practice virtually all visits have a very important peculiarity, i.e. to get to know your own history.

“During that visits we not only learn about these countries, but also ourselves, our own history. Generally, when we are talking about shaping our future, preservation of identity and development, there is a very important formula on this path. As a people we ought to know ourselves a lot better, know our history deeper, know about our heritage in greater detail, and one of the most important acts for building our future is the process of getting to know our past and being in peace with it,” Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan