Catholicos of All Armenians Extends Sympathies on Death of Pope John Paul II
03.04.2005
On April 3, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, sent a letter of condolence on behalf of the worldwide Armenian Church to the Vatican, wherein he extended his sympathies to the Roman Catholic Church, her clergy and faithful, on the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II. (The text of His Holiness Karekin II?s letter appears at the end of this release in its entirety.)
In 2001, at the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II on the occasion of the 1,700th Anniversary of the Great Conversion of the Armenians, His Holiness John Paul II was the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church to travel to Armenia for a fraternal visit. Pope John Paul II was also the first head of the Catholic Church to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide and condemn the tragic events which befell the Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.
The same afternoon, following Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Pontiff of All Armenians presided during a special Requiem Service offered for the repose of the soul of His Holiness John Paul II. Prior to the service, His Holiness Karekin II stated in part, ??Today in our Mother Cathedral we offer our prayers to heaven, commiserating with our sorrowful brothers and sisters of the Catholic Church. We ask God to receive the soul of our dear Brother in Christ in His eternal kingdom with loving mercy and grant him rest. The passing of Pope John Paul II is truly a great loss for the world. He was an untiring preacher of peace and defender of Christian moral values. His Holiness? desires and efforts were renowned, aimed at reconciliation, cooperation and mutual understanding between nations, peoples and states.?
In attendance for the Divine Liturgy and Requiem Service were high-ranking bishops and priests of the Armenian Church, Polish Ambassador and Mrs. Tomasz Knothe, and staff of the Polish Embassy.
