Pope’s ‘genocide’ comment to boost Armenian genocide recognition - expert

On Sunday the head of the Roman Catholic Church served a landmark mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his speech, Pope Francis used the world genocide in describing the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a century ago. The Pope’s statement provoked anger in Turkey. Turkey recalled the ambassador to the Vatican, and called the Vatican ambassador to the foreign ministry for consultation. 

The expert said the Pope’s statement was an unprecedented one. 

“It is of great importance, as for the first time the pontiff condemned the genocide of Armenians and compared this crime with two other cases of the criminal policy,” Safrastyan said. 

The media coverage of the mass and the statement facilitates recognition and condemnation of the genocide due to Pope’s great reputation and influence in the world, according to the expert. 

The genocide recognition will speed up especially in countries where Catholics are majority of the population, Safrastyan said. 

The Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century. Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one and a half million Armenians during World War I. 

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries, particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. –0—