Tweet
POPE SPARKS FURIOUS ROW WITH TURKS OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The Times (London), UK
April 13, 2015 Monday
by Tom Kington
The Pope has described the murder of Armenians by Ottoman Turks 100
years ago as genocide, sparking a diplomatic crisis with Turkey,
which denies that it took place.
Speaking yesterday before a Mass at St Peter's Basilica to mark the
centenary of the killings, the Pope defined the slaughter of as many
as 1.5 million Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century",
quoting a statement 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 speech
carried extra weight since it was given on the anniversary of the
slaughter, in St Peter's, and in the presence of President Sargsyan
of Armenia and Armenian church leaders, who attended the service.
In response, Turkey summoned the Vatican's ambassador to complain
about the remarks, citing "great disappointment and sadness",
and recalled its ambassador from the Holy See. The Turkish foreign
ministry accused the Pope of "ignoring the atrocities suffered by
the Turkish and Muslim peoples who lost their lives".
Turkey claims that half a million Armenians died in the fighting when
they rose up against their Ottoman rulers during the First World War.
The Pope now risks losing Turkey's support as he seeks to defend
Christian communities that are being persecuted by Isis in Syria
and Iraq.
Describing those communities yesterday, the Pope spoke of 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,
burnt alive - or forced to leave their homeland".
The Pope has criticised governments for turning their backs on
Christians in the Middle East, and suggested that playing down the
Armenian slaughter 100 years ago had in part led to the present
killing.
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honour their memory," he
said of the Armenians killed, "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 speech at St Peter's before the mass, 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.
"Our ancient people were uprooted from their cherished cradle of life -
their historic homeland - and scattered over different countries.
Our centuries-old Christian heritage was ruined, obliterated and
seized."
While 3.2 million Armenians live in Armenia today, another eight
million live outside the country.
The Times (London), UK
April 13, 2015 Monday
by Tom Kington
The Pope has described the murder of Armenians by Ottoman Turks 100
years ago as genocide, sparking a diplomatic crisis with Turkey,
which denies that it took place.
Speaking yesterday before a Mass at St Peter's Basilica to mark the
centenary of the killings, the Pope defined the slaughter of as many
as 1.5 million Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century",
quoting a statement 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 speech
carried extra weight since it was given on the anniversary of the
slaughter, in St Peter's, and in the presence of President Sargsyan
of Armenia and Armenian church leaders, who attended the service.
In response, Turkey summoned the Vatican's ambassador to complain
about the remarks, citing "great disappointment and sadness",
and recalled its ambassador from the Holy See. The Turkish foreign
ministry accused the Pope of "ignoring the atrocities suffered by
the Turkish and Muslim peoples who lost their lives".
Turkey claims that half a million Armenians died in the fighting when
they rose up against their Ottoman rulers during the First World War.
The Pope now risks losing Turkey's support as he seeks to defend
Christian communities that are being persecuted by Isis in Syria
and Iraq.
Describing those communities yesterday, the Pope spoke of 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,
burnt alive - or forced to leave their homeland".
The Pope has criticised governments for turning their backs on
Christians in the Middle East, and suggested that playing down the
Armenian slaughter 100 years ago had in part led to the present
killing.
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honour their memory," he
said of the Armenians killed, "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 speech at St Peter's before the mass, 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.
"Our ancient people were uprooted from their cherished cradle of life -
their historic homeland - and scattered over different countries.
Our centuries-old Christian heritage was ruined, obliterated and
seized."
While 3.2 million Armenians live in Armenia today, another eight
million live outside the country.