On 10 June, members of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.
The Executive Committee members have laid flowers at the eternal flame, and a joint ecumenical service was held. The participants prayed for the Armenians killed during the Armenian Genocide, and for all the Greek and Assyrian people who perished in the genocide.
Representatives of the various Christian churches have raised their prayers to God for the immediate cessation of conflicts and consolidation of peace in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, and for the safety of Christians.
The participants also prayed for the safe return of the Metropolitan Gregorios Ibrahim March (Syrian Orthodox Church) and the Metropolitan Paul Yazigi (Greek Orthodox Church); the two bishops kidnapped in Aleppo in 2013.
Dr. Agnes Abume, president of the WCC Central Committee, read out the declaration adopted by the Executive Committee of the WCC to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in which it is stated:
“The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, convene its meeting the country from 8 to 13 June, organized by the Saint of Etchmiadizn Headquarters to honor the victims of genocide and survivors. We visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial to remember them and pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And glorify the life of the Armenian people and the testimony of the Armenian Church.
The Executive Committee reminds the protocol adopted at the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide at the 10th WCC Conference in Busan in 2013. This important step implemented by the 10th Conference was followed by numerous other occasions. For years, the WCC has had an important role in raising awareness and recognition of the Armenian genocide. The protocol adopted at the sixth WCC assembly in Vancouver in 1983 recognized that “The silence of the international community and even deliberate attempts to deny the historical events have become a constant source of suffering and increasing desperation for the Armenian nation, the Armenian Church and many others. “ While some continue to make efforts to refuse or reduce these historic events, the Executive Committee was strongly encouraged by His Holiness Pope Francis, the public recognition of the mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide on April 12, 2015. We emphasize that the international community has a duty to honor the memory of genocide victims, to heal this injury and protect the historical recurrence of such atrocities.
The WCC, with its many member churches, has participated in several events of the anniversary of the 100th anniversary, including the official commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and the canonization of the Holy Martyrs (from April 21 to 25, Yerevan, Armenia ). The WCC and its member churches will continue to participate in events during the commemoration of the centenary this year, organized by the Armenian diaspora, including with the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the July 18 to 19 in Antelias, Beirut. The Executive Committee expresses its gratitude to member churches worldwide and the ecumenical partners, who observed in their context or observe the 100th anniversary and spoke for the sake of recognition of the Armenian genocide. Through this remembrance ceremonies we recognize that these tragic events have occurred and they should be qualified by their name.
The Armenian Genocide in the same historical and political context was accompanied by genocidal actions towards others: communities Aramaic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Syrian and Greek, and especially against Christians, which has affected the history of the 20th century .
The rejection, forgetfulness and lack of sanctions for such events encourages their recurrence. Those who refuse, or raise their hand on the life and dignity of their sister and brother, corrupt and destroy their human nature. The commemoration of the 100th anniversary must specify the fullness of time, while governments are opposed to characterize as genocide. We urge all governments to refuse this resistance.
In this centenary year, we urge the international community, the WCC member churches and people of good will and faith, commemorate and again to reflect on the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity. “
In the end, the members of the Executive Committee, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Director of Interfaith Relations of the Holy See, visited the Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide.
Stéphane © armenews.com