PRESS RELEASE
EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATIONfor Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel/ Fax: +32 2 732 70 27/26
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TOP LEVEL CONFIRMATION OF THE CHURCH COMMITMENT FOR THE UNIVERSAL
CONDEMNATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

7 May ` Karekin II the Catholicos of All Armenians called « the
whole nations » to `universally condemn the Armenian Genocide’
during an official visit to Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican. This call
was made on Piazza San Pietro in front of a public audience
exceptionally chaired by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in the
presence of more than 20 000 faithful.

In his welcome speech, Benedict XVI addressed this issue in recalling
that `at the beginning of XXth century, Christian Armenians suffered
cruel persecutions’ saying that `Armenia’s many martyrs are a sign of
the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of darkness, and a
pledge of hope for Christians everywhere’

Catholicos Karekin II then replied in asserting that Armenians `are a
people who have survived genocide’ and which thus knows well `the
value of love, brotherhood, friendship and a secure life’. His
Holiness Karekin II continued stating that `today, many countries of
the world recognize and condemn the genocide committed against the
Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey’ and that `the denial of these
crimes is an injustice similar to their perpetration’. He ended by
calling `all the nations to universally condemn the Armenian Genocide
so that who has power and authority can detect the accountability of
these crimes’

The European Armenian Federation recalls that Vatican already
recognized the Armenian Genocide through a joint declaration of John
Paul II and Karekin II in 2000.

« We commend the courage and the determination of both the
Apostolic Armenian and Catholic Roman Churches about this deep moral
failure represented by the Armenian Genocide and its denial. We call
upon the Heads of the States and of Governments to pay attention to
these Voices of Wisdom and Lucidity in recognizing, if not yet, the
Armenian Genocide’ stated Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the
European Armenian Federation.

`We call especially the European authorities to uphold the European
values in adopting provisions to prevent and to repress the crime of
denial as the 1948 Covenant represses the crime of genocide’ concluded
Tchoboian.