ARMENIAN PATRIARCH OF TURKEY EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES TO HOLY SEE OF ROME

ISTANBUL, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian
Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, addressed a letter of condolences
to His Eminence Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, Camerlengo of the
Holy See of Rome, Lraper Church Bulletin of the Armenian Patriarchate
of Istanbul reported. The following is the Patriarch’s letter:
“It is with profoundly deep sentiments of sympathy that I write
to you these humble words of cordial condolences, on the passing
of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, the Holy Father, the `Papa’ of
countless numbers of Christians all over the globe, Roman Catholic or
not. It is impossible for me, as a person, and as a junior brother
of his in the episcopate, to forget the many encounters with him
and the opportunities we had to pray together. His visit to Turkey,
and the Armenian Patriarchal See of Istanbul, in November 1979,
will never be forgotten by our faithful. The Holy Father leaves
a grand legacy of selfless faith in God, of effective witness to
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, of peace-making amongst nations,
of dialogue and reconciliation between Christian denominations and
other religions, of upholding morality and justice for all peoples
in this age and time. We, in the Armenian Church, feel very close
at this time of Paschal mystery to our brother bishops in the Roman
Catholic Church and to all Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in the
world, at the passing of this great Christian Pastor. This morning,
on the Second Sunday of the Quinquagesima, I presided over the Divine
Liturgy in the Holy Mother-of-God Patriarchal Church here in Kumkapi,
Istanbul, to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope John Paul II –
a beloved and loyal friend of the Armenian Church and people. May he
rest in peace. In the Risen Lord, Mesrob II Armenian Patriarch of
Istanbul and All Turkey” Patriarch Mesrob sent letters likewise to
Their Eminences Cardinal Angelo Sodano (former Secretary of State of
the Holy See of Rome), Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (former Prefect of
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), Cardinal Walter Kasper
(former Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity) and His
Excellency Archbishop Edmund Farhad, Nuncio of the Holy See in Ankara.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress