PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: +374-10-517163
Fax: +374-10-517301
E-Mail: ktrij@etchmiadzin.am

May 12, 2008

His Holiness Karekin II Visits His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

May 12, San Lazzaro – His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, today concludes his one week fraternal
visit to the Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Catholic Church, His
Holiness Benedict XVI.

Accompanying His Holiness throughout the duration of the visit were
His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, Grand Sacristan of the
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem; His Grace Bishop Aram Ateshian,
Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople; and
approximately 20 additional archbishops and bishops of the Armenian
Church – primates of Armenian Dioceses in North and South America,
Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

On Tuesday, May 6, the Pontiff of All Armenians and his delegation
arrived at Ciampino Airport in Rome. Also joining His Holiness were
more than 75 devoted laymen of the Armenian Church from throughout the
world who were invited by the Catholicos to participate in this
historic visit to the Holy See and Italy. This was His Holiness’ third
visit to the Vatican since his election as Catholicos of All Armenians
in 1999.

The visit to Italy was composed of three parts: a four-day visit to
the Vatican, a one-day visit to the Armenian community of Milan and a
two-day visit to the Mekhitarian Congregation on the Island of San
Lazzaro in Venice.

On Wednesday morning, His Holiness Karekin II and the Armenian bishops
visited the tomb of Pope John Paul II of blessed memory, in the crypt
below Saint Peter’s Basilica, and offered a solemn prayer for the
repose of his soul. The Catholicos and the Armenian delegation also
visited the newly named St. Gregory the Illuminator plaza inside
St. Peter’s courtyard and viewed the statue of the patron saint of the
Armenian Churcate of John Paul II. Immediately afterwards, the
Armenian delegation of clergy and laity participated in the general
audience in St. Peter’s Square, jointly held by Pope Benedict XVI and
Catholicos Karekin II.. The two church heads exchanged messages of
greeting, a fraternal embrace and kiss of peace on the platform in
front of the mother cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church, before a
crowd of more than 35,000 faithful.Â

In his message to the Pope and the faithful, the Catholicos stated in
part, `Dear Brother in Christ, today, on the threshold of the Feast of
Pentecost, when we unite our prayers to those of Your Holiness and of
your faithful sons and daughters, we praise and glorify the Holy
Spirit, Who is the fountainhead of unity and transforms our steps on
the paths of brotherhood with grace – steps which are for the glory of
God and are born from the love of Christ, for the sake of establishing
peace in the world and a blessed life for mankind. In spite of
different historical experiences and paths we have traversed; in spite
of dogmatic and cultural divergences, we are all children of the one
God, and we are all brothers and sisters in His Holy love. For in our
diversity, it is our unity of love that is the genuine testimony that
we are children of God. `Intolerance and confrontation must not be
allowed within the brotherhood and love of Christ. Mankind has
suffered much as a result. Today as well, the creation of God – the
world that surrounds us – is imperiled through interfaith
disagreements, through wars and terrorism, through the effects of
poverty and neglect. Our brothers and sisters are in distress in the
Middle East and many other regions of the world; where women and
children, the elderly and disabled are endangered by the blows of
disagreement and division, unjust competition and enmity.. This is not
the Will of God. This is not our calling. We aspire to live a life in
peace, of creation and creativity, to use the graces given to us by
the Holy Spirit, to sd solidarity with the love of Jesus Christ and
the message of the Gospel, since `for those that love God, all things
work together unto good.’ (Romans 8:28) `We Armenians are a people who
have survived genocide, and we know well the value of love,
brotherhood, friendship, peace and a secure life. Today, many
countries of the world recognize and condemn the Genocide committed
against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey, as did the Holy See, by
His Holiness Pope John Paul II of blessed memory during our fraternal
visit to Rome in 2000. Offering prayers to his luminous memory, we as
Pontiff of the Armenians, appeal to all nations and lands to
universally condemn all genocides that have occurred throughout
history and those that continue through the present day, so that those
who yield power and authority realize their responsibilities and
results of those crimes which have been and continue to be committed
against the creation of God, and that the denial of these crimes is an
injustice that equals the commission of the same.’ That same
afternoon, His Holiness Karekin II was presented with an Honoris Causa
doctorate degree from the Pontifical Salesian University recognizing
his fruitful work in Christian Education and Youth Instruction.
Attending theceremony representing His Holiness the Pope were His
Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Vatican State Secretary and His
Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity. On Thursday, May 8, His Holiness
Karekin II and his delegation visited the Pontifical Oriental
Institute in Rome, and conveyed his blessings and warm greetings to
the participants of a symposium dedicated to the study of the Armenian
Divine Liturgy. The symposium was organized by Fr. Robert Taft and
included presentations by Armenian and Catholic learned scholars from
throughout Europe and North America. His Eminence Leonardo Cardinal
Sandri, Prefect for the Vatican’s Council for Oriental Churches, also
accompanied His Holiness delegation of 100 Armenian bishops and
faithful went to the Apostolic Palace of the Holy See, for a private
audience under the joint presidency of His Holiness Karekin II and His
Holiness Benedict XVI. The two pontiffs again exchanged warm messages
of greeting and brotherly love, embraced with a solemn kiss of peace
and spoke of the strong ties and increasing collaboration between the
Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

His Holiness Karekin II, addressing the head of the Catholic Church
and the Armenian faithful gathered for the audience, stated in part,
`We offer gratitude to the Almighty in heaven, as successor to Saints
Thaddeus and Bartholomew, and the saint co-equal to the apostles,
Gregory the Illuminator, that we are enjoying the light of this good
day when we exchange the divinely ordained kiss of peace with Your
Holiness, worthy successor to the See of Saint Peter, seven years
after experiencing the joy of receiving your predecessor of blessed
memory under the gaze of biblical Mount Ararat. It is even more joyous
that this kiss of peace is exchanged on this day, the 9th of May, when
we are celebrating Victory and Peace Day in our homeland – the day
which commemorates the conclusion of World War II – the cause of great
human tragedy and misery; as well as the triumph of our people in the
national liberation struggle for Mountainous Karabagh.

`¦Dear Brother in Christ, through the blessings of our Lord’s
All-Provident Right Hand, we stand alongside one another today, to
strengthen and testify to the fraternal love between our two
Churches. Faithful to the holy Church fathers and their legacy,
despite our differences and unique characteristics, we shall place
greater importance on that which unites us. It is especially pleasing
for us to confirm that the spirit of love and collaboration between
the Armenian and Catholic Churches finds its tangible expressions in
our time, confirming the words of the psalmist: `Behold how good and
pleasant it is for brothers t

`The love received from our Lord Jesus Christ bears much good fruit in
the field of ecumenism today. We welcome the ongoing dialogue between
the Catholic Church and the family of Ancient Oriental Orthodox
Churches. In our present, fast-paced world where developments and
changes rapidly occur, many environmental, social, political,
economic, and moral issues urgently need attention, especially in the
process of globalization, when true respect for life and man, and love
for God, is diminishing. The greater consolidation of diligent efforts
and partnership are an imperative for Christian Churches, because only
through inclusive cooperation shall we be able to better serve the
establishment of peace in the world and to better defend human rights,
and the rights of nations, families, and those classes of society
which are at-risk. The transfiguration of life through the values of
the Gospel, shall be our path to the creation of a prosperous and
virtuous world.’

A short prayer service was held under the presidency of both church
heads, following which, the faithful approached the Catholicos and the
Pope to kiss their right hands and receive their blessings.. At the
conclusion of the audience, Catholicos Karekin II and Pope Benedict
XVI met privately during lunch to discuss issues of importance to both
Churches.

In the afternoon, His Holiness Karekin II, met with His Grace
Archbishop Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Vatican
Guest House for a private meeting. The head of the Church of England
and the Anglican Communion was coincidentally also in the Holy See
this week, and the two fondly recalled the Archbishop’s fraternal
visit to Holy Etchmiadzin in September 2007, as well as discussed the
upcoming Lambeth Conference for the Anglican Communion and the current
state of relations with sister Churches.

The final event at the Vatican was an Ecumenical Prayer Service,
offered at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, where the
grave of St. Paul the Apostle is located. His Holiness Karekin II
presided during the service, which included the participation of Roman
Catholic and Armenian Church bishops and clergy.

In addition to the official events throughout the course of the week,
His Holiness and the church hierarchs also visited a number of
Armenian and Catholic churches and shrines. His Holiness and the
high-ranking clergymen departed Rome for Milan on Saturday morning.