Francis, who has close ties to the Armenian community from his days in Argentina, defended his pronouncement by saying it was his duty to honor the memory of the innocent men, women, children, priests and bishops who were “senselessly” murdered.
“Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it,” he said at the start of a Mass Sunday in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter’s Basilica honoring the centenary.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey however denies that the death constituted genocide, saying that the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.
Turkey’s embassy to the Holy See canceled a planned press conference for Sunday, presumably after learning that the pope would utter the word “genocide” over its objections.
Several European countries recognize the massacres as genocide, though Italy and the United States have avoided using the term officially given the importance they place on Turkey as an ally.
‘Three massive and unprecedented tragedies’
Francis said that the past century had included “three massive and unprecedented tragedies,”adding that the other two genocides of the 20th century were “perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism.”
“And more recently there have been other mass killings, like those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia. It seems that humanity is incapable of putting a halt to the shedding of innocent blood,” he added.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP)
[france24.com]
12/4/15
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Pope Francis has used the word "genocide" to describe mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in WW1 100 years ago, at a Vatican church service...
Le pape François utilise le mot "génocide" à propos du massacre des Arméniens...
Papst spricht von Armenier-"Genozid"...
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Turkey anger at Pope Francis Armenian 'genocide' claim ...
ReplyDeleteTurkey has summoned the Vatican ambassador after Pope Francis used the word "genocide" to describe mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in WW1 100 years ago.
The foreign ministry requested a meeting with the Vatican's envoy in Ankara, Turkish media reported....bbc.com
12/4/15
Turkey summons Vatican ambassador over pope's genocide comment...
ReplyDeleteTurkey has summoned the Vatican's ambassador in Ankara over the pope's comments describing the massacre of Armenians a century ago as "genocide", a senior official told Reuters on Sunday.
Turkey, which has yet to make an official statement on Pope Francis' comments, summoned the ambassador to protest over the description of the events as "genocide", the official said, declining to be identified..................REUTERS.........http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
12/4/15
La Turquie hausse le ton après la déclaration du pape sur le génocide arménien...
ReplyDeleteLe ton monte en Turquie après les déclarations du pape François, qui a reconnu publiquement le génocide arménien de 1915-1917. Les autorités turques ont annoncé dimanche qu'elles rappelaient pour consultations leur ambassadeur au Vatican.
Ankara a haussé le ton dimanche 12 avril, après les déclarations du pape François, qui a parlé de "génocide" à propos du massacre des Arméniens en 1915 dans l'est de l'Empire ottoman. La Turquie a annoncé qu'elle rappelait pour consultations son ambassadeur au Vatican.
Un peu plus tôt dans la journée, les autorités turques avaient déclaré à l'ambassadeur du Vatican avoir été "profondément désolées et déçues" par ces propos. Après la déclaration du souverain pontife, la Turquie n’avait pas tardé à convoquer le représentant du Vatican à Ankara au ministère des Affaires étrangères turc, afin qu'il s'explique sur la position du pape François.
Le pape est "loin de la réalité historique" selon Ankara
Le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères Mevlut Cavusoglu avait estimé, quant à lui, que les déclarations du souverain pontife étaient "sans fondement" et "loin de la réalité historique". Les propos du pape soulèvent un "problème de confiance" dans les relations entre Ankara et le Vatican, a estimé un responsable turc, interrogé par Reuters............france24.com
12/4/15