Pope Francis to visit Armenian genocide memorial amid feud with Turkey
Pope Francis told Armenians that he is travelling to their country this weekend as a "pilgrim" to learn from the country's wisdom and "strengthen our communion" with their Orthodox Church.
In more than 1,700 years as an officially Christian country "you have found in the cross of Christ and in your genius the strength always to rise again even from the sufferings that were among the most terrible that history recalls," said Francis in a video message broadcast on Armenian television yesterday.
He said he both admired the Armenian people and shared in their suffering.
More than 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by Ottoman Turks during World War One.
Though nearly a dozen EU countries formally recognise the genocide, Turkey has consistently disputed it. It accepts that many Armenians died in partisan fighting, but denies that the figure is as high as 1.5 million, and says that it did not amount to genocide.
The Pope will travel on Friday for three days and visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Saturday.
"We must not allow painful memories to take possession of our hearts. Even in the face of repeated assaults of evil, we cannot give up," he said.
In April last year, Francis called the Armenian massacre the "first genocide of the 20th Century". Turkey responded at the time by immediately recalling its ambassador to the Vatican to Ankara for consultations. He did not return for 10 months. The Turkish President warned the Pope to "not repeat this mistake".
During the television broadcast on Wednesday Pope Francis referenced the story of Noah's Ark, which is traditionally important to Armenians.
He told Armenians to be like Noah "who after the flood never tired of looking toward the heavens and kept releasing doves."
When a dove returned with an olive branch, Noah knew "that life could begin again and hope could be revived."
The Pope said he will visit "as a pilgrim in this jubilee year to draw from the ancient wisdom of your people and drink from the springs of your faith."
