Pontifical Visit Media Advisory

His Holiness Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
Pontifical Visit of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

630 Second Avenue New York, New York 10016
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
Pontifical Visit
Media Relations Office

Michael O’Hurley-Pitts, Ph.D.
Director
Telephone: 212.686.0710 ext. 154
michael@armeniandiocese.org
Facsimile: 212.689.1934
Cellular: 212.533.0335

Sylvie Keshishian
Public Relations Director
Telephone: 212.686.0710 ext. 160
publicrelations@armeniandiocese.org
Facsimile: 212.689.1934

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8 October 2007

His Holiness Karekin II Prays and Lays Wreath at Holocaust Memorial in
Boston – Joined by Rabbi Moshe Waldoks & Boston Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
Leader Andrew Tarsay

Massachusetts Council of Churches & Sean Cardinal O’Malley Affirm Armenian
Genocide & Support for Boston Genocide Memorial

Boston – His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all
Armenians visited the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston today to pay
his respects, lay a wreath and pray for the victims of the Jewish Holocaust.
The Catholicos of All Armenians was joined by: Reb Moshe Waldoks, Spiritual
Leader of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts; the New England
Regional Director of the ADL, Mr. Andrew Tarsay; and His Eminence Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern).

His Holiness began his visit to the Holocaust Memorial by laying flowers at
a shrine dedicated to the memory of Holocaust victims. Together with Reb
Waldoks he offered prayers for those who perished and petitioned that such
crimes against humanity never again be perpetrated on any people. Both
religious leaders expressed their concern that recognition, condemnation and
prevention of such atrocities must be unequivocal, especially for the people
of Darfur who are currently enduring a genocide.

The Catholicos listened intently as Reb Waldoks described the meaning of
each element of the Holocaust Memorial, recalling the significant
contributions to humanity and culture that the Jewish people have made and
how too often pogroms and intolerance marked their experience. The profound
respect each man has for the other, and for their respective peoples, was
demonstrated in the affection and respect they showed one another.

Upon the completion of the tour of the Holocaust Memorial His Holiness took
the opportunity to thank Mr. Andrew Tarsay for his condemnation of those who
refused to proclaim the Genocide of the Armenians, calling such conduct
"morally indefensible." The Catholicos also took time to thank the
Immediate Past President of the American Jewish Committee, Mr. James D.
Kaufman, for his contributions to the betterment of humanity.

"We are deeply honored that His Holiness Karekin II has come to pay his
respects to Holocaust Victims here in Boston," said Mr. Kaufman. "We deeply
appreciate his demonstration of solidarity with us and in turn we want Him
to know that we stand in solidarity with him and the Armenian people who
suffered a cruel genocide of 1.5 million souls between 1915 to 1918."

Mr. Kaufman continued, "Our two peoples share a common history of
oppression, first at the hands of the Babylonians, then the Romans and
throughout the ages. Even in recent decades we shared a history of
oppression at the hands of the Soviet Union. The Armenians were subjugated
to Soviet rule and the Jewish people suffered restrictions on the practice
of their faith and freedom of movement. I am pleased to see the Armenian
homeland free and re-established. I hope today’s events are just another
step in the strong relationship between Armenians and Jews."

Mr. Anthony Barsamian of the Armenian Assembly of America was also present,
adding, "At the beginning of the 20th century, and again in its midst, there
were those who tried to annihilate and exterminate our two great peoples.
The century concluded with the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and this
century commenced with the genocide that still rages on in Darfur. We stand
together with our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community to mourn
humanity’s losses and recommit ourselves to the unequivocal and unified
condemnation of crimes against humanity with one, resounding voice so that
some day mankind might no longer suffer such evil and injustices." The
Armenian Assembly has been a leader in the effort to have the United States
Congress pass a resolution acknowledging and condemning the Armenian
Genocide.

Sean Cardinal O’Malley and Massachusetts Council of Churches Affirm Genocide
and Efforts to Build a Genocide Memorial in Boston

His Holiness Karekin II began the day at a breakfast for ecumenical leaders
being hosted by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, Sean Cardinal
O’Malley. During the breakfast, The Rev. Jack Johnson read to the

assembled audience a resolution stating:

The Massachusetts Council of Churches unequivocally recognizes the Armenian
Genocide, launched on April 24, 1915 and continued through 1923, which
resulted in the annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey and
the deportation of almost the entire Armenian population from its ancestral
lands in Asia Minor. The Armenian Genocide marked the first modern instance
of genocide conducted as a policy of state..

The Massachusetts Council of Churches resolves.

to resist and rebuke the deniers of genocide (whether these are criminally
complicit; politically expedient; purveyors of pseudo-scholarship; or merely
apathetic) in the certain knowledge that any denial of genocide will only
encourage attempts of genocide in the future;

to remembers the souls of those who perished in the horrors of the Armenian
Genocide, and pray for the peace of those who survived; and to pray, most
emphatically, that in the century just beginning, God will free humankind of
the scourge of genocide once and for all;

The Massachusetts Council of Churches is comprised of seventeen Orthodox and
Protestant Churches and has the participation of the Roman Catholic Church
as an observer. The Rev. Jack Johnson, Executive Director of the Council,
read the resolution before presenting it to His Holiness Karekin II.

Sean Cardinal O’Malley welcomed His Holiness, speaking of the fraternal love
between the Roman Catholic and Armenian Churches, recalling the visit of
several Armenian priests to his office when he was first appointed the
Archbishop of Boston. In a solemn and moving moment, His Eminence Sean
Cardinal O’Malley directly addressed Catholicos Karekin II and Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, saying "I want to go on
record as affirming my acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide and the
suffering it has caused the Armenian people and make clear my support for
your efforts to memorialize the Genocide here in Boston."

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority had given permission to construct an
Armenian Genocide Memorial on the Greenway in Boston. However, at the
eleventh-hour a proposal was made to thwart the effort.

His Holiness Karekin II, deeply moved by the support voiced by Sean Cardinal
O’Malley, embraced him as a sign of warm affection. Much to the approval
and smiles of all in attendance, the Catholicos ended the breakfast by
presenting Cardinal O’Malley with an ornate, gold, Armenian Cross and
inviting the Cardinal and the Rev. Jack Johnson to be his guests in Holy
Etchmiadzin.

His Holiness Karekin II began his pastoral visit to his flock in the United
States with a visit to California and the Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America and continued his visit in the Eastern Diocese beginning
two days later in New York. During the course of the Pontifical Visit, His
Holiness Karekin II will visit 18 cities in 14 different states (a complete
list of visits can be found online at: <;
www.pontif icalvisit.org).

Daily coverage of the Pontifical Visit can be found online on the official
Pontifical Visit Web Site ( <;
www.pontif icalvisit.org). The site provides a wealth of information about
His Holiness Karekin II, the Armenian Church, and the Diaspora and includes
daily photographic and video updates to allow the faithful throughout the
United States and the world to stay abreast of events, activities and
worship services.

For more information on the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin II,
including supplemental media advisories and background papers, please visit:
<; and
<;

ADL Leader Andrew Tarsay with His Holiness Karekin II at the Holocaust
Memorial in Boston

Rabbi Moshe Waldoks and His Holiness Karekin II at the Holocaust Memorial
in Boston

# # #