CARDINAL BERTONE, IN ARMENIA, MOURNS GENOCIDE VICTIMS
Catholic World News
March 6 2008
Yerevan, Mar. 6, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio –
news) met with Armenian Church and state leaders and paid tribute to
the victims of the Armenian genocide during an abbreviated visit to
that country.
The Vatican Secretary of State had originally planned to visit Armenia
from March 2 to 6, but postponed his arrival because of a political
crisis in the country. Arriving on March 4, he met with Catholicos
Karekin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. On March 5
the Italian cardinal prayed at the tomb of the late Archbishop Nerses
Der Nersessian, the first Armenian Catholic bishop of Eastern Europe,
who held that post from 1991 until 2004. Then he visited the resident
of the current leader of that Eastern Catholic Church, Archbishop
Nechan Karakeheyan. Later the cardinal celebrated Mass at a hospital
in Giumri.
Cardinal Bertone met the next day with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, who thanked the Vatican for its efforts to raise awareness
of the Armenian genocide. The cardinal then visited the Armenian
Genocide Museum, laying a wreath there in honor of the victims.
Leaving Armenia on March 6, the cardinal continued on to Azerbaijan,
where he was greeted by a group of dignitaries including Prime
Minister Arthur Rasizadeh and the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Claudio
Gugerotti. Cardinal Bertone will remain in Azerbaijan through March 9.