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In Memoriam: Pope Francis
- Armenian Assembly of America
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Washington, D.C. - The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, the late Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, who urged the world to never forget the Armenian Genocide.
"Concealing of denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it," Pope Francis stated on April 12, 2025 during mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where he marked the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and referred to the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as the "first genocide of the 20th century."
Pope Francis shared a positive friendship with the Armenian people and the Armenian Church, and traveled to Armenia and Holy Etchmiadzin - notably in 2016 - where he shared a common declaration with His Holiness Karekin II, Patriarch of All Armenians, and expressed that the "Armenian Church carries on her mission with a spirit of fraternal collaboration between the Churches, sustaining the faithful in building a world of solidarity, justice and peace."
During that same visit, Pope Francis declared the events of 1915 a "genocide" when he stated, "sadly that tragedy, that genocide, was the first of the deplorable series of catastrophes of the past century, made possibly be twisted racial, ideological or religious aims that darkened the minds of the tormentors even to the point of planning the annihilation of entire peoples."
"Pope Francis was a bold and courageous leader, and a man of faith and humility, whose concern about humanity was paramount," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "His commitment to the truth, particularly when referring to the Armenian Genocide, was admirable, as was his friendship with the Armenian people dating back to the time of his ministry in his native land of Argentina."
The Armenian people share the sorrow of Pope Francis's passing with the Catholic community and the world.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a strictly non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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