Pope Francis: I Want To Be Buried Beneath Armenian Khachkar

[Anastasia13]

Pope Francis: I Want To Be Buried Beneath Armenian Khachkar

By PanArmenian -- (April 3, 2013)

 

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, elected the Catholic church’s 266th pope, has often attended the liturgies of Armenian Apostolic church in Buenos Aires.

 

According to Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Argentina and Chile, Archbishop Kissag Muradian, during the inauguration of khachkar on the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Archbishop Bergoglio expressed a which to be buried beneath the memorial.

 

As Armenian-Turkish Agos newspaper reports, on April 23, 2004, at a special mass he celebrated in Buenos Aires’ Metropolitan Cathedral, Archb. Bergoglio said, “We are united in the pain of a Genocide, the first one in the 20th century, which now powerful empires try by all means to silence and cover up… We pray that the Lord frees us from all this and gives us freedom.”

 

Two years later, during the celebration of an ecumenical liturgy presided by Cardinal Bergoglio and Archb. Kissag at the Buenos Aires Cathedral, during the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 2006, the priest who is now the Pope said, “Today we pray for this nation who is still deprived of human rights.”

 

“Our friendship with Cardinal Bergoglio mainly started in the years 2004, 2005 and grew especially on the 95th anniversary of the Genocide, when a khachkar was placed in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral,” Archb. Kissag said. “He had told me he wanted to be buried beneath that Armenian khachkar,” he added, expressing his hope that his friend, now as Pope Francis I, will help in achieving progress for recognition of the Genocide.

 

http://www.eurasiareview.com/03042013-pope-francis-i-want-to-be-buried-beneath-armenian-khachkar/

 

:raccoon:

Edited April 6, 2013 by Light and Truth

[arfink]

Coolio. This gives me hope that relationships between Rome and the Armenian Orthodox will continue to improve.

[Anastasia13]

72 views and no comments...

 

The Pope has previously acknowledged the genocide and the suffering still caused by it.  Today, the Armenian diaspora remains united in a dark thread of genocide, where many of our governments deny our reason for being there as a diaspora, and by an inability to let go of a past that cannot be acknowledged and resolved both locally where it is not acknowledged and abroad where persecution over it still happens. Christians (not just the Armenian ones) in Eastern Turkey are persecuted. Western Turkey is a tourist area; but Eastern Turkey is where those who remember something of it happening, reporters, and other investigators must be careful about what they say happened there lest they face legal harassment if not conviction of breaking the law.  If they could get away with it before, they can still hurt Armenia in some ways again-one of the reasons why some, especially among the diaspora, worry about negotiations and concessions on Armenia's side, to open the boarder to trade with Turkey.

 

Pope Francis' acknowledgment of this genocide and the coverup and the pain of it is deeply Christian, just as human rights and loving neighbors is Christian. I have no doubt that Armenians who read this article, regardless of their denomination, will be watching closely as we approach April 24, the 98th anniversary of the start of the genocide.

 

A Khachkar is a an Armenian style of stone cross. It is used by the larger Armenian Apostolic Church and also by the much smaller Armenian Catholic Church.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Light and Truth

[CatholicCid]

72 views and no comments...

Poor arfink. 

[Guest Allie]

Sometimes evil leaves one wordless.  Prayers.

[Anastasia13]

Sometimes evil leaves one wordless.  Prayers.

 

My favorite Eastern prayer: Lord have mercy. It's "Der voghormia" in Armenian.

 

That article is another reason why the current pope is cool.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Light and Truth

[AnneLine]

Praying.   Unfortunately genocide happened on my birthdate (although it was before my time) so I pray for everyone on that day.

[AnneLine]

Praying.   Unfortunately genocide happened on my birthdate (although it was before my time) so I pray for everyone on that day.

[franciscanheart]

I admit ignorance. Sorry.

[Anastasia13]

I admit ignorance. Sorry.

 

If you are saying sorry for having ignorance, you have nothing to apologize for. I expect only certain groups in the US to know about the genocide. Despite Ambassador Henry Morganthau's documentation, the US government is one of the governments that do not acknowledge the genocide because we have a base in Turkey and things like that. I just thought that this article was really cool and wanted to share it. If there is anything to be explained, please let me know. I am happy to answer/look up and answer. :)

Edited April 7, 2013 by Light and Truth