Yerevan /Mediamax/. Pope Francis, who arrived in Armenia by the invitation of His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, attended the welcome ceremony at Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin today.

Expressing his joy and gratification about the visit of Pope Francis to the first Christian country, Karekin II noticed: “The visit of Your Holiness is a new sign of brotherhood and partnership between our two churches, which fills the followers of the Armenian Apostolic and the Roman Catholic Churches with strength and optimistic certainty that displays of our faith and Christian affection should become more significant in our lives.

Our nation recalls with gratitude the Holy Mass you held at St. Peter’s Basilica, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, and the speech that recognized the Genocide. We thank God that we can pray together here today and honour the memory of the canonized fallen, which symbolizes the victory of not only Armenian nation, but also Christian faith.”

Pope Francis said in his turn:

“Armenian nation was the first to adop Christianity in the time when Christians were still persecuted in Rome. Christian faith was not a dress for Armenians to put on or take off depending on circumstances or reasons, but an element of identity, the greatest gift to accept with joy and guard with diligence and strength. Let God bless you for this exemplary preservation of faith.”

Photos by Mariam Loretsyan