POPE FRANCIS
CTV Television, Inc., Canada
April 12, 2015 Sunday
SHOW: CTV NATIONAL NEWS 23:00:00 ET
ANCHORS: SANDIE RINALDO
SANDIE RINALDO: Well it only took one word for Pope Francis to find
himself at the center of a diplomatic storm today. The word, genocide,
and Francis used it to describe the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians
by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. No one disputes the deaths, but Turkey
strongly denies committing a crime. CTV’s Melanie Nagy explains.
MELANIE NAGY (Reporter): In St. Peter’s Basilica during mass, Pope
Francis used the word genocide in reference to the Armenians who were
murdered by Ottoman Turks 100 years ago. A powerful statement made
in the presence of Armenia’s president and several of the country’s
spiritual leaders. But it was also a controversial move, one that’s
angered Turkey. Around the time of World War I, up to 1.5 million
Armenians were killed in what’s now eastern Turkey.
ARAM I (Head of the Armenian Apostolic Church): Genocide is a crime
against humanity.
NAGY: But Turkey has long insisted those killed were the victims
of civil war, not genocide. From Istanbul, Turkey’s prime minister
lashed out, accusing the pontiff of inciting hatred.
ROBERT RIGGS (Religious Historian): The Turkish government is fighting
back against this because of its, you know, again legal, potential
legal consequences in the international court.
NAGY: This isn’t the first time a pope has referred to the Armenian
killings as genocide. In 2001, John Paul II used the term in
a declaration. But Francis went much further, publicly using the
word in front of a large audience. In Toronto, Armenian-Canadians
held a blood drive to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the
massacre. They applaud the pope’s comments.
ARMEN YEGANIAN (Armenian Ambassador to Canada): We have to address
the issue. We have to learn our lessons in order to learn how to
prevent it.
NAGY: Also today, a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office
reiterated Canada’s position referring to the events as a genocide. As
for Turkey, the country is now recalled its ambassador to the Vatican.
Sandie?
RINALDO: CTV’s Melanie Nagy in Vancouver.
From: Baghdasarian