Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt
April 16, 2015
A date with international recognition
Described as a historic event, Pope Francis served a Holy Mass in
memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Nora
Koloyan-Keuhnelian watched the service closely
photo: Gregory of Nareg as depicted on a 1173 manuscript
photo: Pope Francis, centre, flanked by Catholicoses Karekin II,
right, and Aram I, left, at the Sunday Mass in memory of the Armenian
Genocide victims, Vatican
During its plenary session on Wednesday the European Parliament
adopted a resolution on the centennial of the Armenian Genocide by
majority. The resolution was supported by all political groups in the
European Parliament. Pope Francis’ message of reconciliation and peace
was also included in the final version of the resolution which Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned. Erdogan warned the pope not
to repeat the “mistake” of describing the mass killings of Ottoman
Armenians as “genocide”.
Before the resolution passed, Erdogan said that regardless of the
outcome, Turkey will not take it seriously and that the EP’s decision
will go “in one ear and out the other”, adding that it was not
possible for Turkey to accept responsibility for such a crime. Erdogan
also threatened to deport the roughly 100,000 Armenian nationals
living and working in Turkey.
Last Sunday, Armenians around the world, across different time zones,
anxiously watched a previously announced Holy Mass service held in the
Vatican City’s St Peter’s Basilica. The Mass was dedicated to the 1.5
million victims of the Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turks a
century ago. Pope Francis of the Catholic Church born Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, 79 delivered a message in the presence of the Republic of
Armenia’s President Serge Sarkissian, All Armenians Catholicos Karekin
II of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Catholicos Aram
I of the Holy See of Cilicia, Armenian Catholics Patriarch Beatitude
Nersess Bedros XIX Tarmouni of Cilicia, Bishop Ashod Mnatsaganian
Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Egypt, Bishop
Krikor-Okosdinos Coussa of the Armenian Catholics in Egypt, other
Armenian church leaders of the Diaspora as well as intellectuals and
parliamentarians from Armenia.
In his message, Pope Francis addressed the faithful as “Armenian
brothers and sisters”, expressing his close feelings to the Armenian
people and his wish to unite spiritually the prayers that rise up from
the hearts of the families in different Armenian communities. Pope
Francis used the word “genocide” referring to the mass killings of the
Armenians in 1915. “In the past century, our human family has lived
through three massive and unprecedented tragedies,” the Pope said,
“the first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the 20th
century, struck your own Armenian people,” referencing a 2001
declaration by Pope John Paul II and head of the Armenian Church
Karekin II.
Despite of the Pope’s reference to a 15-year-old declaration, Turkey,
still in a state of denial, has reacted with anger, expressed its
disappointment and sadness, and summoned Mehmet Pacaci, its ambassador
to the Vatican, for an explanation. It later recalled its Ambassador
Aydın Adnan Sezgin from Rome. Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut
Cavusoglu did not accept the Pope’s statement, saying, “It is far from
the legal and historical reality.” Cavusoglu insisted that religious
authorities should not incite resentment and hatred with baseless
allegations, especially that the mass killings were not openly driven
by religious motives. Disagreeing, Bishop Ashod Mnatsaganian of Egypt
told Al-Ahram Weekly in a telephone conversation from the Vatican
immediately after the Mass was over, “Pope Francis is a respectful
churchman who spreads messages of peace and love to the world. As a
clergyman he couldn’t stay silent and not condemn slaughtering
committed with hatred. A genocide that was denounced with silence for
a hundred years and still is unaccepted by Turkey.” Mnatsaganian
explained that the Pope did not incite resentment and hatred as
Foreign Minister Cavusoglu stated. “He called on nations to live in
peace and condemn every harm that’s directed to humanity.”
According to Harut Sassounian, writer and publisher of The California
Courier, “The only person who was clueless about the Pope’s true
intentions was Pacaci, who had bragged to the Turkish press two weeks
ago that he had convinced the Pope to cancel his visit to Yerevan on
24 April, not to celebrate Mass at the Vatican on that day and
eliminate the words ‘Armenian Genocide’ from the Pope’s address during
the 12 April Mass,” for which the Turkish and Azerbaijani media
reported Ambassador Pacaci’s contentions as a major victory for
Turkish diplomacy and a devastating defeat for Armenians. “Ambassador
Pacaci’s false claims were simply intended to impress his superiors in
Ankara about his ‘good work’,” Sassounian noted in his weekly column.
Armenian Church Catholicos Karekin II and Aram I, too, addressed the
faithful, both in Armenian language. In his powerful speech, Aram I
Catholicos expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for sharing the
Armenian people’s sorrow. Aram I suddenly switched the language of his
speech to English, determined to let each and every word he said about
the genocide reach the faithful people’s minds and souls. “Not only we
lost 1.5 million Armenians, but thousands of monasteries, churches,
community centres, humanitarian and social institutions, objects of
spiritual and cultural immense value were destroyed, lost or
confiscated. According to international law, genocide is a crime
against humanity and international law spells out clearly that
condemnation, recognition and reparation of genocide are closely
interconnected. The Armenian cause is a cause of justice and as we
well know, justice is not human made, it’s a gift of God, therefore
the violation of justice is a sin against God.” Aram I’s speech was
interrupted with applause several times.
Francis in his message reminded the Armenian faithful of Saint John
Paul II’s saying: “Your history of suffering and martyrdom is a
precious pearl, of which the Universal Church is proud. Faith in
Christ, man’s redeemer, infused you with an admirable courage on your
path, so often like that of the Cross, on which you have advanced with
determination, intent on preserving your identity as a people and as
believers.”
During the Mass, Pope Francis proclaimed 10th century monk Saint
Gregory of Nareg as a Doctor of the Church. The title has been given
to only 35 other figures. Gregory of Nareg Krikor Naregatsi in
Armenian language was an Armenian monk, poet, mystical philosopher and
theologian who is a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Naregatsi
was born circa 950. He was recognised as a saint of the Roman Catholic
Church too, and Pope John Paul II referred to Naregatsi in several
addresses. He was the author of mystical interpretation, the “Song of
Songs” and numerous poetic writings. His Book of Prayers, also known
as the “Book of Lamentations”, is a long mystical poem in 95 sections
written circa 977, and has been translated into several languages. The
prayer book, the work of his early years, remains one of the
definitive pieces of Armenian literature. Naregatsi’s prayers have
long been recognised as gems of Christian literature and it was his
hope that the “Book of Lamentations” would serve as a guide to prayer
by people of all sectors around the world.
“Those two great mentionings by Pope Francis considering the 1915 mass
killings a ‘genocide’ and proclaiming our Saint Gregory of Nareg
Doctor of the Church granted me a deep spiritual satisfaction. The
Pope’s solidarity with our nation will give a new hope and strength to
our people who continuously are struggling for justice,” Bishop
Mnatsaganian told the Weekly.
Children dressed in Armenian national costume took the offerings of
the Holy Mass (bread and wine) to the Holy Altar of the church, and
the sound of Armenian duduk was heard for the first time inside St
Peter’s Basilica. Duduk is an ancient woodwind flute made of apricot
wood. It was also noticeable that some faithful intellectuals and
church choir members were wearing scarves with the forget-me-not
flower printed on them, the official emblem of the worldwide
observance of the centennial year of the genocide.
Will Pope Francis’ powerful remarks set the stage for Obama to
recognise the Armenian Genocide? During his presidential campaign in
2008, Obama made a promise to the large Armenian communities in
different states of the United States: “As a senator, I strongly
support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and as president I
will recognise the Armenian Genocide.” He failed to follow through
when he became president. At least so far.
The Republic of Armenia is in build up to the formal commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide centennial next week.
From: Baghdasarian