(Vatican Radio) P ope Francis arrived in Armenia’s capital Yerevan at 12.55 pm Rome time on Friday 24th June to begin his 14th apostolic journey abroad. Armenia is a landlocked mountainous nation which borders with to the west Turkey, to the East Azerbaijan, to the north Georgia and to the South Iran.
He was warmly welcomed by the President of the nation’s Republic Serzh Sargsyn and the Catholicos of All Armenia Karekin II. Also present were the Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Armenia Grégoire Pierre XX and other religious and civil authorities.
This visit, to the first country ever to adopt Christianity as a state religion sported a logo which highlighted this historic factor along with the dates of the journey which are the 24th to the 26th of June.
Listen to Veronica Scarisbrick’s report:
It’s a circular logo divided in half by two colours: yellow for the Vatican and purple for the Armenian city of Etchmiadzin, seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church where Pope Francis is staying as a guest of the Catholicos Karekin II.
Within the design one can spy the outlines of two significant places in Armenia: snow capped Mount Ararat with its biblical connotations and the Monastery of Kor Virap located on its flanks, which Pope Francis will also visit on Sunday . A significant monastery where Gregory the Illuminator credited for the conversion of this nation to Christianity in 301, so at the beginning of the fourth century, was once held prisoner at the bottom of a well.
Pope Francis follows in the footsteps of John Paul II who visited Armenia in 2001. But this papal visit will take place in a very different context. Pope Francis has made sure that this meeting between churches has a popular element to it. As always during his journeys he has come to be with the people of the nation unusually for Armenia in the public Square.
The first such moment is marked by Holy Mass on Saturday in the north east of the country in the second largest city of the nation Gyumri, hard hit by an earthquake back in 1988. A mass which an estimated 400 000 people are expected to attend.
The second is an ecumenical encounter later in the day to pray for peace in Yerevan’s main Square. A square which has hosted many artistic events and even concerts by well- known singer of Armenian origin Charles Aznavour.
Pope Francis is popular in Armenia, a nation where Christian identity blends into Armenian identity. Many of the people especially women wear huge pectoral crosses and taxi drivers make the sign of the cross several times whenever they pass in front of churches.
In fact Armenians know of his proclamation on the 12th of April 2015 of a 10th century Armenian monk St Gregory of Narek as Doctor of the Church. And above all of his words in this same message to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1915 ‘Metz Yeghern’ or the great evil as Armenians call the massacres in this nation at the hand of the Ottoman Empire. A dark chapter in the history of Armenia Pope Francis is set to mark first thing Saturday morning when he pays tribute to the memory of the fallen at the ‘Tzitzernakaberd’ Memorial complex where he’ll be meeting with ten descendants of the Armenian refugees housed in the summer residence of Castelgandolfo by his twentieth century predecessor Benedict XV back in 1915.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent the following telegram to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria , Rosen Plevneliev :
As I fly over Bulgaria on my way to Armenia, i extend cordial greetings to Your Excellency and your fellow citizens. Invoking upon all of you Almighty God’s blessings of peace and prosperity.
Franciscus PP.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who reached the age of 75 for retirement last October. The Pope has elevated to Archbishop Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, former Custos of the Holy Land for twelve years, and appointed him as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He will hold the position until the appointment of a new Patriarch.
In a statement posted on its online site , the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said “The Bishops, clergy and faithful of the Latin Patriarchate sincerely thank His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal who has just completed his mission, and welcome the Apostolic Administrator with best wishes in his new mission. The entire Diocese joins in prayer for the intentions of the Patriarch Emeritus and the new Apostolic Administrator.”
The Episcopal Ordination of Father Pizzaballa will take place in September.
Bishop Shomali welcomes appointment of new Administrator
Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate has welcomed the appointment of Archbishop-elect Pizzaballa saying that he knows the situation in the Holy Land very well and that reaction has been very positive.
Wishing him success in his new mission, Bishop Shomali says he expects Fr. Pizzaballa will be able to contribute to interrfaith dialogue and in the administration of the Patriarchate.
Bishop Shomali observes that it is not the first time that a Franciscan Custos has been at the helm of the Latin Church in the Holy Land. He notes that Mgr. Piavi of the early XXth century and Mgr. Gori (1950s) were two Franciscans to sit as Patriarchs. “So, it’s an experience that repeats itself for the good of the diocese,” he adds.
Gratitude for Patriarch Twal’s years of service
Bishop Shomali extends “truly sincere thanks” to Patriarch Twal for the nine years he has dedicated to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. “We are grateful to him; we wish him good health and that he continues to serve the mission in other ways.” Regarding his hopes for a future of peace in the Holy Land, Bishop Shomali says politicians need to have “a lot of good will” and “we will help through our prayers.”
Patriarch Twal, born in Jordan, succeeded Palestine native Michel Sabbah as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem on 21 June 2008. He was enthroned at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem the following day.
On 29 June 2008, Patriarch Twal received the pallium at the hands of Pope Benedict XVI at a Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Former Franciscan Custos becomes Apostolic Administrator of Latin Patriarchate
From northern Italy, Pierbattista Pizzaballa was ordained priest on 15 September 1990. He was transferred to the Holy Land, in Jerusalem, in October 1990.
In July 1999 he formally entered in service to the Custody of the Holy Land. In 1995 he was responsible for the publication of the Roman Missal in Hebrew, and translated various liturgical texts in Hebrew for the Catholic Communities in Israel. He lectured Hebrew at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. He covered the role of Vicar General of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem for the pastoral care of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel. Since 2008 he is a Consultor in the Commission for relations with Judaism of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Unity among Christians.
He was elected Custos of the Holy Land in 2004 and was repeatedly confirmed in that position until he stepped down last April.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent the following telegram to the President of the Republic of Serbia , Tomislav Nikolić :
Entering Serbian air space on my pastoral journey to Armenia, I send cordial greetings to Your Excellency and your fellow citizens, and I invoke divine blessings upon the nation.
Franciscus PP.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent the following telegram to Filip Vujanović , the President of Montenegro :
As I fly over Montenegro on my apostolic journey to Armenia, I extend cordial greetings to Your Excellency. I pray that Almighty God may bestow upon you and your fellow citizens peace and prosperity.
Franciscus PP.
(from Vatican Radio)…