CARDINAL BERTONE DEPARTS FOR ARMENIA

Zenit News Agency
March 4 2008
Italy

Trip Postponed Amid Declared State of Emergency

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 4, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
left today for Armenia, two days after the Vatican announced his
visit would be postponed due to unrest in the country.

A communique of the Vatican press office confirmed today that the
Pope’s secretary of state began the visit "with some changes to
the program."

"As previously announced, his scheduled visit to Azerbaijan is
confirmed," added the note.

Cardinal Bertone planned to leave for Armenia on Sunday, and stay
through Thursday, when he would head to neighboring Azerbaijan until
March 9. But post-election clashes between protesters and police in
Armenia on Saturday resulted in eight deaths. The Armenian government
declared a 20-day state of emergency, forbidding even small groups
to gather in the nation’s capital.

A note from the Vatican press office stated, "The visit, which has
not yet been canceled, could take place in the next several days,
with a changed schedule."

Protesters in the former Soviet state claim that the Feb. 19
presidential elections were rigged. They contested the victory of
Serzh Sarksyan, who is current President Robert Kocharian’s prime
minister and ally.

In Azerbaijain on Thursday, Cardinal Bertone is scheduled to meet
with the head of the Muslim leaders and other religious officials. He
will express to them the Church’s desire to cooperate in the common
commitment to peace, concord among peoples and the good of the
human family.

The cardinal will be present at the inauguration of a new Catholic
church In Azerbaijian’s capital built on land donated to Pope John
Paul II by President Heydar Aliyev, father of the nation’s current
head of state.