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International Business Times UK
April 12 2015
Pope incurs Turkey's wrath after calling Armenian mass slaughter 'genocide'
By Romil Patel
April 12, 2015 15:03 BST
Pope Francis has angered Turkey by using the term"genocide" to
describe the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman
Turks.
Speaking at a mass in Saint Peter's Basilica to mark the centenary of
the event, Pope Francis noted that humanity had experienced "three
massive and unprecedented tragedies" in the past 100 years.
"The first, which is widely considered 'the first genocide of the 20th
Century', struck your own Armenian people," he said to the
congregation.
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honour their memory, for
whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester.
Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding
without bandaging it," the Pope said.
Turkey angered
The Pope's comments have infuriated Turkey, who vehemently says that
the figures have been inflated and consequentially, deny that the
killings constitute genocide. Turkey says that between 300,000-500,000
Armenians and a similar number of Turks died when the former rose up
against the latter.
Last year, current Turkish president, Recep Tayyip ErdoÃ?Â?an offered his
sympathies to the grandchildren of slain Armenians.
Armenia and historians maintain that up to 1.5 million people were
massacred by Ottoman forces in 1915 as the empire crumbled and Armenia
has consistently sought to define the slaughter as genocide.
Pope Francis said the other two genocides of the 20th century were
"perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism" and added: "More recently there
have been other mass killings, like those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi
and Bosnia. It seems that humanity is incapable of putting a halt to
the shedding of innocent blood."
The Vatican has previously incurred Turkish fury after Pope John Paul
II used the term "genocide" in a joint statement signed with the
Armenian patriarch in 2000.
Kardashians mark anniversary
Last week, TV celebrities, Kim and Khloe Kardashian visited their
ancestral home in Armenia to mark the anniversary with Kim's husband
Kanye and daughter North West.
They met with Armenia's Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, who praised
their efforts to push for "international recognition and condemnation
of the Armenian genocide".
A government statement said: "The Kardashians apologised for not
speaking Armenian, but said they are learning their native language."
"They pledged to continue the struggle for international recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian genocide."
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pope-incurs-turkeys-wrath-after-calling-armenian-mass-slaughter-genocide-1496010
April 12 2015
Pope incurs Turkey's wrath after calling Armenian mass slaughter 'genocide'
By Romil Patel
April 12, 2015 15:03 BST
Pope Francis has angered Turkey by using the term"genocide" to
describe the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman
Turks.
Speaking at a mass in Saint Peter's Basilica to mark the centenary of
the event, Pope Francis noted that humanity had experienced "three
massive and unprecedented tragedies" in the past 100 years.
"The first, which is widely considered 'the first genocide of the 20th
Century', struck your own Armenian people," he said to the
congregation.
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honour their memory, for
whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester.
Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding
without bandaging it," the Pope said.
Turkey angered
The Pope's comments have infuriated Turkey, who vehemently says that
the figures have been inflated and consequentially, deny that the
killings constitute genocide. Turkey says that between 300,000-500,000
Armenians and a similar number of Turks died when the former rose up
against the latter.
Last year, current Turkish president, Recep Tayyip ErdoÃ?Â?an offered his
sympathies to the grandchildren of slain Armenians.
Armenia and historians maintain that up to 1.5 million people were
massacred by Ottoman forces in 1915 as the empire crumbled and Armenia
has consistently sought to define the slaughter as genocide.
Pope Francis said the other two genocides of the 20th century were
"perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism" and added: "More recently there
have been other mass killings, like those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi
and Bosnia. It seems that humanity is incapable of putting a halt to
the shedding of innocent blood."
The Vatican has previously incurred Turkish fury after Pope John Paul
II used the term "genocide" in a joint statement signed with the
Armenian patriarch in 2000.
Kardashians mark anniversary
Last week, TV celebrities, Kim and Khloe Kardashian visited their
ancestral home in Armenia to mark the anniversary with Kim's husband
Kanye and daughter North West.
They met with Armenia's Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, who praised
their efforts to push for "international recognition and condemnation
of the Armenian genocide".
A government statement said: "The Kardashians apologised for not
speaking Armenian, but said they are learning their native language."
"They pledged to continue the struggle for international recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian genocide."
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pope-incurs-turkeys-wrath-after-calling-armenian-mass-slaughter-genocide-1496010