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POPE RISKS INCURRING WRATH OF TURKS
Cape Times (South Africa)
April 13, 2015 Monday
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis described the massacre of as many as
1.5 million Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century"
at a 100th anniversary mass yesterday, using words that could draw
an angry Turkish reaction.
Muslim Turkey accepts many Christian Armenians died in clashes with
Ottoman soldiers beginning in 1915, when Armenia was part of the empire
ruled from Istanbul, but denies hundreds of thousands were killed.
It was the first time a pope has publicly pronounced the word
"genocide" for the massacre, repeating a term used by some European
and South American countries, but avoided by the US and some others
to maintain good relations with an important ally.
Pope John Paul II and Armenian Supreme Patriarch Kerekin II called it
"the first genocide of the 20th century" in a joint written statement
in 2001.
Francis, who has disregarded many aspects of protocol since becoming
pope, uttered the phrase during a Vatican audience with an Armenian
delegation in 2013, prompting a strong protest from Ankara.
Cape Times (South Africa)
April 13, 2015 Monday
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis described the massacre of as many as
1.5 million Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century"
at a 100th anniversary mass yesterday, using words that could draw
an angry Turkish reaction.
Muslim Turkey accepts many Christian Armenians died in clashes with
Ottoman soldiers beginning in 1915, when Armenia was part of the empire
ruled from Istanbul, but denies hundreds of thousands were killed.
It was the first time a pope has publicly pronounced the word
"genocide" for the massacre, repeating a term used by some European
and South American countries, but avoided by the US and some others
to maintain good relations with an important ally.
Pope John Paul II and Armenian Supreme Patriarch Kerekin II called it
"the first genocide of the 20th century" in a joint written statement
in 2001.
Francis, who has disregarded many aspects of protocol since becoming
pope, uttered the phrase during a Vatican audience with an Armenian
delegation in 2013, prompting a strong protest from Ankara.