By Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
“I have greatly desired to visit this beloved land, your country: the first to embrace the Christian faith. It is a grace for me to find myself here on these heights where, beneath the gaze of Mount Ararat, the very silence seems to speak. Here the ‘khatchkars’ recount a singular history bound up with rugged faith and immense suffering, a history replete with magnificent testimonies to the Gospel, to which you are heir. I have come as a pilgrim from Rome to be with you and to express my heartfelt affection: the affection of your brother, the fraternal embrace of the whole Catholic Church, which esteems you and is close to you.”
When Pope Francis spoke these words in Yerevan’s Republic Square last month, my heart filled with a spirit of good will and optimism. Here was a man exemplifying genuine piety, humility before God, and down-to-earth humanity. Here was a man held in admiration by the entire world, expressing his personal admiration for the Armenian Christian heritage. Thousands of people came out to be with the Pope and our Catholicos on that day, and we were all blessed to witness something rare and hopeful—something that will echo well into the future.
Pope Francis’s visit to Armenia (June 24-26) was a sequel to last year’s magnificent service in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. On that earlier occasion, the Pope memorialized the holy martyrs of 1915, and spoke forthrightly about the meaning of martyrdom on the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which he explicitly named “the first genocide of the 20th century.” Authorities and people around the world took notice of the Pope’s words at that time; indeed, his forthright recognition of the Armenian Genocide seemed to liberate others to do likewise—with results that we saw throughout the subsequent year.
The Pope’s presence in Armenia last month also gained wide notice—and we have His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Excellency Serge Sarkisian, President of the Republic of Armenia, to thank for the invitation they personally extended to Pope Francis, and for the excellent arrangements throughout the visit.
The Pope responded with grace and enthusiasm, and in many ways his visit marked a watershed moment in the relationship between the Roman Catholic and Armenian churches. Let me share some of the images and words that left indelible impressions on me:
Even after the beautiful affirmations of the previous days, this message of unity in the universal church without imposing hierarchy, his asking for Catholicos Karekin’s blessing—these were unexpected, profound assertions from the Pope. They had the force of spontaneous outbursts from the deepest part of his heart; and I believe they will be considered genuine breakthroughs in the centuries-old relationship between the Roman Catholic and Armenian churches.
The trip ended at Khor Virab: the site of St. Gregory’s imprisonment, now converted into a shrine overlooking the majestic Mount Ararat. The Catholicos Karekin II and Pope Francis released doves towards Armenia’s western frontier. It was a symbolic message of peace from a man of peace.
Gazing at Ararat, I thought back on the Prayer for Peace two days earlier. A highlight of that service came when columns of children, refugees from various countries, approached a sculpture of Noah’s Ark with soil from their native lands. Together, the Pope and Catholicos planted a tender vine in the soil, watered it, and prayed that it would grow and bear fruit.
Pope Francis’s visit to Armenia had this character. It nourished the seed of spirituality embedded so deeply in our homeland. I witnessed the effect it had on our faithful people, on our clergy, on all who watched the trip in person or at home. It is in our power now to make that seed grow, blossom, and bear fruit. With our Lord’s help and blessing, we will do so.
And we will do so secure in the knowledge that we are not alone in this world; indeed, we enjoy the support and solidarity of others who share our faith, and who draw strength from our story. As Pope Francis said in his words of gratitude to Catholicos Karekin:
“You have opened to me the doors of your home, and we have experienced ‘how good and pleasant it is when brothers live in unity.’ [Ps 133].”
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: Reflections on Pope Francis’s Visit to Armenia