Pope Francis at Dzidzernagapert Memorial Monument
YEREVAN, GYUMRI—On the second day of his Papal Visit to Armenia, Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Dzidzernagapert Memorial, where he arrived with Catholicos Karekin II and was greeted by President Serzh Sarkisian and First Lady Rita Sarkisian.
Upon his arrival at Dzidzernagapert, the pope offered a silent prayer and placed a wreath, as well as a white and yellow rose, to signify the official colors of the Vatica, by the eternal flame.
The pope and Karekin II held an ecumenical service in memory of the victims of the genocide, which included reading of passages from the Bible. The ceremony also included a duduk performance by Djivan Gasparyan, Gevorg Dabaghyan, and Kamo Seyranyan.
While at Dzidzernagapert, the pope also planted, watered and blessed a fir tree at the Memory Alley of the Memorial Complex. He then made his way to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, where he signed the guestbook.
The pope plants a fir tree at the Memorial Alley
“I pray here with sorrow in my heart, that there might never again be tragedies like this one, that humanity might never forget, and might know how to overcome evil with goodness; may God grant to the beloved Armenian people and to the whole world peace and consolation. May God preserve the memory of the Armenian people. The memory must neither be watered down nor forgotten; memory is the fount of peace and of the future,â€
