The Armenians expect Pope Francis to repeat the words on the Armenian Genocide during his visit to Armenian on June 24-26, writes the French Christian newspaper La Croix.

According to the newspaper, the Pope’s schedule includes a visit to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. Pope Francis refrained [from repeating] these words during his visit to Turkey in October 2015, but uttered them - to the surprise of many people - during the mass on 12 April 2015 in Rome. That mass was attended by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II (85 percent of the country’s Christians belong to this church), as well as Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I and Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church Gregory Peter.

“Something happened on that day. I saw the two catholicoi hold back they tears. I could also see the feelings of the Armenian President,” Joseph Kelekian, parish priest of Sainte-Croix Armenian Catholic Church diocese, said at a press-conference in Paris.

“Pope Francis will make an address to the faithful during the mass of the Catholicos,” Fr. Joseph said, adding that he gets ecumenical happiness from this visit.  

Peace must become another important topic during those days. On Saturday, 50-60 thousand people will join the ecumenical meeting with a prayer for peace in Yerevan’s Republic Square, Fr. Manuelle Hovhannisian, Apostolic church bishop of Arnouville-lès-Gonesse, added.