Armenia’s Ambassador to the Vatican Mikael Minasyan unveils the stature of St, Gregory of Narek in the Vatican Gardens
VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis on Thursday was joined by the His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia along with President Serzh Sarkisian for the unveiling of a bronze statue of St. Gregory of Narek, which was erected in the Vatican Gardens.
St Gregory of Narek is recognized as a Saint in both the Catholic Church, being venerated in a particular way among Catholics of the Armenian Rite, and in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The bronze statue, designed by David Yerevantsi, was smelted in the Czech Republic under the joint sponsorship of Mikael Minasyan, Armenia’s ambassador to the Holy Sea, and Artur Janibekyan, the director of Gazprom Media Holding (Moscow).
In an interview with the Vatican News on Wednesday, Ambassador Minasyan highly praised the idea, describing it as a sign of fraternity and close friendship.
“The idea to erect the statue of Saint Gregory of Narek in the gardens of Vatican stands as a symbol of fraternity between the two churches and all the Christians, particularly those in the Middle East,â€
