Aram I Meets Pope Francis
On June 5, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia held a private meeting with Pope Francis I. Following the meeting Pope Francis met with the Catholicos and his delegation, Asbarez.com reports. The two pontiffs exchanged remarks on a number of issues. Aram I spoke of the special relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Catholicosate of Cilicia both during the time of the Kingdom of Cilicia and after the Genocide when it settled in Antelias, Lebanon. The focal point of Aram I’s address was highlighting the role the Vatican has played in the pursuit of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the pope's own statement reaffirming the Genocide and condemning Turkey for its denial policy. In discussing the 2015 Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the Catholicos thanked the Pope for his past positions on the Armenian cause and spoke of the 1.5 million Armenians who had lost their lives and of the churches, homes, sources of livelihood, spiritual and cultural heritage that had been lost as a result of the Genocide.
