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POPE TELLS ARMENIAN LEADER THAT MASSACRE 100 YEARS AGO WAS 'GENOCIDE'
The Times, UK
April 12, 2015 Sunday 12:52 PM GMT
by Tom Kington, Rome
Pope Francis today described the murder of Armenians 100 years ago by
Ottoman Turks as "genocide", a reference likely to spark a diplomatic
row with Turkey.
Speaking before a Mass at St Peter's Basilica, he defined the slaughter
of as many as 1.5 million Armenians as "the first genocide of the
20th century", citing a statement made by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
"The remaining two were perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism," he said.
"And more recently there have been other mass killings, like those
in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia."
Though he is not the first pope to use "genocide" to describe the
Armenian massacre his use of the word in public will anger Turkey,
which denies that the killing amounted to genocide.
Turkey instead claims that up to half a million Armenians died
fighting when they rose up against their Ottoman rulers during the
First World War.
When Pope Francis first referred to the killings as "genocide" in
2013 the description triggered a complaint from the Turkish government.
His speech today carried extra weight, however, since it was given
on the anniversary of the slaughter and in the presence of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, who attended the service.
Turkey's embassy to the Vatican cancelled a planned news conference
today, possibly after hearing that the pope would say "genocide"
in his speech.
The Pope had been under pressure to use the word, even at risk of
losing Turkey's support as he campaigns to defend Christian communities
in Syria and Iraq being persecuted by Muslim extremists.
Describing those communities, he portrayed the "muffled and forgotten
cry of so many of our defenceless brothers and sisters who, on account
of their faith in Christ or their ethnic origin, are publicly and
ruthlessly put to death - decapitated, crucified, burned alive -
or forced to leave their homeland".
The Pope has criticised governments for turning their back on the
plight of Christians in the Middle East today. He suggested today
that playing down the Armenian slaughter 100 years ago was partly to
blame for the continued killing.
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honour their memory," he
said, "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!"
In a message released today, Karekin II, the patriarch of the Armenian
Church, used the word "genocide" 13 times.
"With a deliberate plan, with horrific atrocities, one and a half
million Armenians were slaughtered," he said, recalling the massacres.
"Our ancient people were uprooted from their cherished cradle of life -
their historic homeland - and scattered over different countries.
Our centuries-old Christian legacy heritage was ruined, obliterated,
and seized."
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article4408772.ece
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
The Times, UK
April 12, 2015 Sunday 12:52 PM GMT
by Tom Kington, Rome
Pope Francis today described the murder of Armenians 100 years ago by
Ottoman Turks as "genocide", a reference likely to spark a diplomatic
row with Turkey.
Speaking before a Mass at St Peter's Basilica, he defined the slaughter
of as many as 1.5 million Armenians as "the first genocide of the
20th century", citing a statement made by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
"The remaining two were perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism," he said.
"And more recently there have been other mass killings, like those
in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia."
Though he is not the first pope to use "genocide" to describe the
Armenian massacre his use of the word in public will anger Turkey,
which denies that the killing amounted to genocide.
Turkey instead claims that up to half a million Armenians died
fighting when they rose up against their Ottoman rulers during the
First World War.
When Pope Francis first referred to the killings as "genocide" in
2013 the description triggered a complaint from the Turkish government.
His speech today carried extra weight, however, since it was given
on the anniversary of the slaughter and in the presence of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, who attended the service.
Turkey's embassy to the Vatican cancelled a planned news conference
today, possibly after hearing that the pope would say "genocide"
in his speech.
The Pope had been under pressure to use the word, even at risk of
losing Turkey's support as he campaigns to defend Christian communities
in Syria and Iraq being persecuted by Muslim extremists.
Describing those communities, he portrayed the "muffled and forgotten
cry of so many of our defenceless brothers and sisters who, on account
of their faith in Christ or their ethnic origin, are publicly and
ruthlessly put to death - decapitated, crucified, burned alive -
or forced to leave their homeland".
The Pope has criticised governments for turning their back on the
plight of Christians in the Middle East today. He suggested today
that playing down the Armenian slaughter 100 years ago was partly to
blame for the continued killing.
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honour their memory," he
said, "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!"
In a message released today, Karekin II, the patriarch of the Armenian
Church, used the word "genocide" 13 times.
"With a deliberate plan, with horrific atrocities, one and a half
million Armenians were slaughtered," he said, recalling the massacres.
"Our ancient people were uprooted from their cherished cradle of life -
their historic homeland - and scattered over different countries.
Our centuries-old Christian legacy heritage was ruined, obliterated,
and seized."
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article4408772.ece
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress