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POPE'S POSITION ON GENOCIDE DEPENDS ON ARMENIAN DIPLOMACY
NEWS.AM
March 16, 2013 | 02:46
The election of Cardinal Bergoglio, Pope Francisco I, is an important
novelty as he is the first American, and Latin American, head of the
Catholic Church.
This means that the Vatican is probably thinking about a new agenda
in its international relations, though I have little doubt the most
pressing issue will still be the internal problems of the Catholic
Church, representative of Armenian community of Argentina Khatchik
Derghougassian believes.
"On the international agenda, we can probably foresee an increasing
relevance of a continent, South America, which does have the highest
numbers of Catholics; but other issues, especially the Christians
of the Middle East, will be priority for the Vatican diplomacy,"
Derghougassian, professor of American University of Armenia, told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Khatchik Derghougassian said, as a person, while Bergoglio was
intransigently conservative on some issues like same sex marriages in a
country that within the last twenty-five years had become increasingly
liberal, open-minded, tolerant in promoting human and social rights,
he also was very engaged with other issues like the eradication of
poverty (it is not a coincidence that he has chosen Francisco as a
name following St. Francois of Assis known as the Saint of the poor),
the struggle against slave work and so for.
He is known as a person of principles that he usually do not negotiate
and does not avoid a polite but firm confrontation in their defense. I
do not think that he would ever deny the demand he made to Turkey for
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide; however, understandably,
the topic is not His priority," professor added.
"The declaration that he made was the consequence of his relationship
with the Armenian community in Argentina and Archbishop Kisag
Mouradian; but at the end of the day much would depend on the Armenian
diplomacy, including Echmiadzin's and Antelias' relationship with
the Vatican, to promote the follow-up of his declaration.
The most important question, therefore, is if the Armenian Foreign
Ministry does have this follow-up issue on his agenda, if Armenia's
Ambassador at the Vatican is the right man in the right place, if he
does know his job beyond protocols and public relations... in short,
it depends on the interest, cleverness and professional capacity of
the Armenian diplomacy to reach Francisco I and build on a declaration
that he made as, I repeat, a consequence of the relationship that
the Armenian community in Argentina and Archbishop Mouradian had
developed with him."
From: A. Papazian
NEWS.AM
March 16, 2013 | 02:46
The election of Cardinal Bergoglio, Pope Francisco I, is an important
novelty as he is the first American, and Latin American, head of the
Catholic Church.
This means that the Vatican is probably thinking about a new agenda
in its international relations, though I have little doubt the most
pressing issue will still be the internal problems of the Catholic
Church, representative of Armenian community of Argentina Khatchik
Derghougassian believes.
"On the international agenda, we can probably foresee an increasing
relevance of a continent, South America, which does have the highest
numbers of Catholics; but other issues, especially the Christians
of the Middle East, will be priority for the Vatican diplomacy,"
Derghougassian, professor of American University of Armenia, told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Khatchik Derghougassian said, as a person, while Bergoglio was
intransigently conservative on some issues like same sex marriages in a
country that within the last twenty-five years had become increasingly
liberal, open-minded, tolerant in promoting human and social rights,
he also was very engaged with other issues like the eradication of
poverty (it is not a coincidence that he has chosen Francisco as a
name following St. Francois of Assis known as the Saint of the poor),
the struggle against slave work and so for.
He is known as a person of principles that he usually do not negotiate
and does not avoid a polite but firm confrontation in their defense. I
do not think that he would ever deny the demand he made to Turkey for
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide; however, understandably,
the topic is not His priority," professor added.
"The declaration that he made was the consequence of his relationship
with the Armenian community in Argentina and Archbishop Kisag
Mouradian; but at the end of the day much would depend on the Armenian
diplomacy, including Echmiadzin's and Antelias' relationship with
the Vatican, to promote the follow-up of his declaration.
The most important question, therefore, is if the Armenian Foreign
Ministry does have this follow-up issue on his agenda, if Armenia's
Ambassador at the Vatican is the right man in the right place, if he
does know his job beyond protocols and public relations... in short,
it depends on the interest, cleverness and professional capacity of
the Armenian diplomacy to reach Francisco I and build on a declaration
that he made as, I repeat, a consequence of the relationship that
the Armenian community in Argentina and Archbishop Mouradian had
developed with him."
From: A. Papazian