Foreign visits
President Serzh Sargsyan makes official visit to Holy See
President Serzh Sargsyan on September 18 made an official visit to the Holy See (Vatican). The Armenian President took part in the opening of the photo exhibition “A Fable of the East: Challenges Facing Christianity in the New Millennium” at Vittoriano Museum Complex in Rome. The aim of the exhibition is to draw the attention of the international community to the state of thousand-year old endangered Christian communities in the Middle East, as well as to the need for preserving the Christian cultural heritage in the region. The exhibition embraces photos taken in nine Middle Eastern countries and a separate section devoted to a documentary film about the extermination of Jugha’s Armenian cross-stones.
The exhibition has been organized at the initiative and under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Holy See within the framework of the annual Rimini Festival for Friendship among Peoples launched on August 24 and besides Rome, is going to tour other cities.
At the opening of the exhibition President Serzh Sargsyan of the Republic of Armenia made a speech. In their speeches the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan, the President of the Community of Sant’Egidio Marco Impagliazzo, the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi also talked about the importance of the exhibition topic, the state of Christians in the Middle East, as well about their deep concern over the existence of Christianity and protection of social and cultural values in general.
***
***
The president also visited St. Bartholomew Church whose chapels contain records about Christian martyrs, including those of the Armenian Genocide. Serzh Sargsyan laid a wreath at the main altar of the church and paid tribute to the memory of martyrs. Addressing the religious people gathered in the church, the Armenian President noted that the church has had special significance and role in the history of the Armenian people. Underscoring that the Armenian people did not have statehood for a long time – the last Armenian kingdom faded away 600 years ago – Serzh Sargsyan said that in the absence of statehood the church was able to undertake many state functions. According to the president, Armenians consider that it is partly thanks to this our people have managed to pass through the crossroads of history and reach the 21th century. Serzh Sargsyan underlined that St. Bartholomew after whom this church located on the Tiber Island is named, is considered one of the founders of the Armenian Church. “May God give us the strength and ability to be able to pass on our Christian values to our generations,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.
In honor of the Armenian President on September 18 a dinner was held on behalf of the Christian Community of Sant’Egidio.
***
On his official visit to the Holy See President Serzh Sargsyan on September 19 held a private meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis.
The Armenian President and His Holiness praised the high level of relations between Armenia and Vatican and underscored that they are firmly based on the common Christian value system and the ideology. The interlocutors attached importance to the high-level reciprocal visits and contacts intensified in recent years which is a testimony of the mutual commitment to staying focused on their bilateral relations. Serzh Sargsyan and His Holiness exchanged opinions on the close cooperation between Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholic Church. At the meeting the president officially invited the Supreme Pontiff to visit Armenia in 2015. The Supreme Pontiff accepted the invitation with pleasure and assured that his heart wishes to visit Armenia.
Afterwards, President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The interlocutors discussed the present state of the relations between Armenia and Vatican and their prospect. The parties stated with satisfaction that in recent times those multidimensional relations have been developing rapidly.
At the meeting the parties discussed contemporary issues pertaining to Christian people and Christian heritage in the Middle East. President Serzh Sargsyan expressed readiness to be involved in activities aimed at dealing with these issues.
Issues concerning the peaceful resolution of the NKR conflict were also touched upon. President Serzh Sargsyan expressed his gratitude to Cardinal Pietro Parolin for the Holy See’s balanced position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
On his visit Serzh Sargsyan today also held a meeting with the cardinals of the Roman Curia (administrative apparatus of the Holy See).
***
President Serzh Sargsyan on September 19 visited the Vatican Museums where he participated in the opening of a medieval Armenian cross-stone permanent exhibition. The cross-stone which dates back to 1246 was placed at the Pope Urbano VIII exhibition room of the Vatican Museums next to the famous Sistine Chapel.
The President of the Vatican Governatorate Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, the Director of the Vatican Museums Antonio Paolucci and the heads of the sections welcomed the RA President near the entrance of the museum building. The RA President was led to the permanent exhibition room of the medieval Armenian cross-stone. Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello and Professor Antonio Paolucci made speeches at the opening of the cross-stone. Mr. Filipini who is responsible for the museum’s lithographic exhibits and the Head of the Armenology Department of the University of Bologna Anna Sirinyan presented the history of the cross-stone followed by the speech of the RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan. The speakers noted that the cross-stone which is a striking illustration of Armenian culture was discovered in the 17th century in the surroundings of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican.
The RA President donated a sculpture by the modern Armenian sculptor Karen Baghdasaryan to the Vatican Museums.