Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church arrived in Armenia on June 24. He was invited by His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. Armenia became the 24th country Pope visited.
Text : Lena Gevorgyan / Photos : PAN Photo
“Visit to the First Christian Nation” was the motto of His Holiness Pope Francis’s visit to Armenia. The official logo of the visit depicted Biblical Mount Ararat and the Monastery of Khor Virap – a holy place which had played an exceptional role in the dissemination of Christianity.
The official ceremony of welcoming Pope Francis took place at Zvartnots International Airport. The President of Armenia, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and other state officials greeted Pope Francis at airport, besides Little Singers of Armenia children’s choir performed medieval Armenian carols for His Holiness.
During his three day visit Pope Francis had a very tight agenda in Armenia. Before his arrival a photo was posted on the official instagram account of the Pope with a caption reading “Please Pray for me as I begin tomorrow my pilgrimage to Armenia, first among the nations to welcome the Gospel of Jesus”.
On the same day of his arrival Pope attended the welcome ceremony at Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. “I consider it a precious gift of a God to be able to approach the holy altar from which the light of Christ shone in Armenia”, the Pope stated.
During his pilgrimage Pope visited The Armenian Genocide memorial and paid tribute to all the victims. The Pope laid a wreath at the memorial and flowers at the Eternal Flame, where the clergy performed the intercessory prayer, asking for the mediation of the holy martyrs.
The Ecumenical ceremony and the Prayer for Peace performed by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness Supreme Patriarch Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II took place in the Republic Square in Yerevan. The event was also attended by hundreds of pilgrims, who have arrived from abroad. Thousands of people from Yerevan and different regions of Armenia also took part in the ceremony. His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness Supreme Patriarch Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II performed a liturgy in in Vardanants Square in Gyumri. The official farewell ceremony for His Holiness Pope Francis took place at Zvartnots International Airport.
