Pope Francis is popular in Armenia, a nation where Christian identity blends into Armenian identity. Many of the people especially women wear huge pectoral crosses and taxi drivers make the sign of the cross several times whenever they pass in front of churches.
The pope arrived Friday afternoon in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, which he noted was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. The downtown was decorated with Armenian and purple-and-yellow flags welcoming Pope Francis to “the first Christian nation.”
John Paul II became the first pope to visit Armenia with his 2001 trip and was the first pontiff to refer to the 1915 slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, although he did so only in writing.
“The occurred, of course, is a rather serious challenge for the EU and will oblige to proofread the policy implemented towards various directions of the EU—social, politics, migration in the field of Neighborhood and Enlargement Policies. That challenge supposes rather lasting and hard discussions and those discussions within the EU structures will tend not to be temptations for other countries, and follow the example of Great Britain.”
“We extend our prayer to Almighty God with the intercession of the Holy Apostles and all the witnesses of the Lord, for peace in the world, a prosperous and secure life for humanity and for the vibrancy of the holy Church of Christ. Your Holiness, our dear brother in Christ, your visit to Gyumri is a spiritual renewal for the faithful of the region of Shirak, and it shall always be remembered with warmth and love. Again with a joyous heart we reaffirm that your visit is a new testimony to the fraternal relationship between our churches.”
“Here I pray with pain in my heart, so that never more will there be tragedies like this, so that humanity does not forget and knows how to overcome the evil with good. May God grant the beloved Armenian people and the entire world peace and consolation. May God protect the memory of the Armenian people. Memory should not be diluted or forgotten. Memory is source of peace and the future,” Pope Francis wrote.
“Firstly, it seems to me that the resolution was conditioned by the fear of the British from migration crisis, threat of which really exists, ordinary citizens are afraid that Brussels will dictate its will to ordinary citizens, this is a crucial circumstance. That is, the British expressed in favor of sovereignty of their own country.”
He stated that Pope Francis attempts to see Ararat from all the places, as it’s a global symbol, a “rainbow of peace.” According to Federico Lombardi Pope Francis will reveal importance of Armenia and Armenians for the many.
The Pope had confirmed all the texts; he had said “This is the one I am going to pronounce”. We have always provided you with the texts of his speeches, but we always said that the Pope can always change even the entire text in the last moment. We provide you with the text and urge you to be attentive, as he can give a surprise at any moment. This times the Pope decided to add that word,” Lombardi clarified.
“For Armenia, faith in Christ has not been like a garment to be donned or doffed as circumstances or convenience dictate, but an essential part of its identity, a gift of immense significance, to be accepted with joy, preserved with great effort and strength, even at the cost of life itself,” he said.
