In Meeting with Pope, Aram I Emphasizes Artsakh Armenians’ Rights, Fate of Detainees in Baku

Catholicos Aram I meets with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 18

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia on Monday met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and discussed issues related to Artsakh Armenians, including their right to return to their homeland and the fate of Armenian prisoners being held in Baku.

During the meeting, Catholicos Aram I first addressed the following issues: the establishment of a common date for Easter, the designation of a commemorative day for all martyrs, and the convening of a Third Vatican Council, emphasizing the urgent necessity of these matters within the life of the universal Christian Church.

Pope Leo XIV welcomes Catholicos Aram I to the Vatican

Then turning to the issue of Artsakh, the Catholicos stressed the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to return under international guarantees, the preservation of churches and historical monuments in accordance with international law, and the urgent need for the immediate release of the Artsakh leaders currently detained in Baku.

Aram I also spoke about the current situation in Lebanon, underscoring the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and its authority throughout all Lebanese territories, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the need to uphold the ceasefire agreement. Naturally, he also emphasized the importance of the ecumenical movement, stressing in this context the priority of giving special attention to moral and ethical issues alongside theological questions.

The Pope expressed his views and and support on the aforementioned, while also offering the necessary clarifications from his side.

Following the first meeting, the Catholicos and the Pope held another private conversation, exchanging views and concerns on these and other related matters.

The private meeting between the two spiritual leaders was followed by an official exchange of addresses in the presence of members of His Holiness’s delegation and representatives of the Vatican.

The Pope and the Catholicos exchange remarks

In his address, Aram I referred to the historic relationship between the Armenian Church and the Vatican, a relationship that expanded significantly during the period of the Cilician Armenian Kingdom after the 11th century. This relationship was further strengthened with the emergence of the ecumenical movement and found expression through theological dialogues, inter-church meetings, and various forms of cooperation. The Catholicos then highlighted two important points.

He expressed his deep gratitude for the support shown by the Vatican regarding the Armenian Genocide and the restoration of the rights of the Armenian people, as well as for its support of the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh.

The Catholicos welcomed the Vatican’s support for Lebanon, recalling that Lebanon occupies a special place in the life of the Armenian nation, as it became the center of the renaissance of the Armenian nation following the Genocide. He also emphasized Lebanon’s importance as a country of Christian-Muslim coexistence.

Underscoring the special importance of inter-church relations, Aram I stated that the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia would continue its close cooperation with the Vatican and, more broadly, with the Catholic Church in the same ecumenical spirit and commitment.

In his remarks, Pope Leo XIV likewise referred to the relationship between the Armenian Church and the Catholic Church, particularly during the Cilician period, and later to its further development after the Catholicosate of Cilicia was transferred to Antelias, Lebanon.

Within this context, he also praised Aram I’s the important role in the ecumenical movement, especially through the World Council of Churches and in expanding cooperation with the Catholic Church. In his remarks, the Pope referred to Saint Nerses Shnorhali as a champion of inter-church relations.

“My thoughts turn to Saint Nerses the Gracious, Catholicos of Cilicia, who may be regarded as a pioneer of ecumenism – and whose recent inclusion in the Roman Martyrology is a further example of that ‘ecumenism of the saints’ which already unites our Churches,” the Pope said, further stressing the importance of Lebanon both for Christianity in the region and as a model of Christian-Muslim coexistence.

Following the official exchange of addresses, Aram I introduced the archbishops, bishops and clergy who were members of the delegation, which includes Western Prelate Archbishop Kegham Khacherian.

During a gift exchange ceremony, the Catholicos presented the Pope with a replica of the Gospel of Partserpert, while the Pope offered a bronze sculpture depicting the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.

Subsequently, a joint service was held in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Apostolic Palace under the presidency of Pope Leo XIV and Catholicos Aram I. The ceremony consisted of prayers and hymns drawn from the liturgical tradition of the Armenian Church.