Located in the Vatican archives related to the Armenian Genocide new historical documents, the day comes to light. La Civiltà Cattolica magazine published documents, offers important information about the Vatican and the Armenian Genocide took place in the period after his diplomatic initiatives and charity work.

Jesuit prepared by the priest Georges-Henry Ruyss and according to the news, a summary of the four volumes of documents published on 21 March, the archive will be released all at the end of March, the 19th century at the end of the middle of the 20th century ‘contains documents on the Armenian question. Documents belonging to many archives Eastern Churches Senate, the pope of the letters they wrote to the Ottoman sultan, Vatican Foreign Office and other government departments, and documents belonging to the church, missionaries pity reports, the Armenian patriarch and contains testimonies from letters and church from the clergy.

Many of the most important documents released for the first time, Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict wrote two letters to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed V Reshad. In a letter dated September 10, 1915, the Sultan who want to take a stand against the violence directed against the Armenians XV. Benedict, in the letter dated 12 March 1918 from the Sultan wants to help with the Armenian convenience to work. Magazine, the letter of the event is always aware of the Vatican to remain passive in the face of the massacre, in contrast, emphasizes the true meaning is proof that the effort expended. According to the Journal reported, XV. Benedict, sonorous only political and religious leaders of that time was this massive crime.

According to the documents, the Vatican’s diplomatic initiatives, not limited to this. In 1917, intervening for the release of 60 Armenians who were sentenced to death in Syria by Cemal Pasha Vatican, in 1921, met with Mustafa Kemal through Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, the survivors are demanding the protection of the Christian life and property safety.

Published documents, as well as the Vatican’s diplomatic initiatives that carry out activities also reveals that aid to survivors. Magazine, at that time by pushing the Red Cross and the Near East (Near East Relief), except that of other international humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to the Armenian forward progress, says the Vatican’s financial aid perpetuate. In the framework of this assistance in the region ‘open to orphans from all religious beliefs’ many orphanages installation, the Armenian orphan girl at the orphanage and also provides them shelter in the Apostolic Church of Castel Gandolfo near Rome.

As well as the documents released this year, Pope Francis, on behalf of those who died in the Armenian Genocide on April 12 in St. Will manage a litany of Peter’s Basilica. Famous Armenian genocide commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the artist Charles Aznavour also scheduled to give a concert at the Vatican.

Archbishop Bonetti, tells the pre-genocide

Another important document is located in the archive, 1887-1904 between the dates of the reports sent to the Vatican, Archbishop Augusto BONETTINI in Istanbul. In this report, the 19th century at the end of the agenda ‘Armenian question of the forgotten step-by European powers specified, as the cause of this situation, the European diplomacy “Whatever the outcome of the study to protect the integrity of the Ottoman Empire” shows. Archbishop Bonetti, France and Russia, ‘writes that Turkey’s integrity protection targets. According to BONETTINI, France, the region adopts this attitude to his large investments. Russia remains ineffective in relations with Turkey to focus on the Far Eastern policy. The material interests for the sake of Germany, especially by Bonetti is a plug in favor of continuing the war between the Greeks and Turks, Britain’s political interests also said that it is important for Turkey.

‘Vatican documents, will add a new dimension to the study of genocide’
Yektan Türkyılmaz (Anthropologist, Zentrum Modern Orient)

Vatican documents on the Armenian issue and the regulation of genocide and open to the use of this researcher, of course, a very important new dimension to the work in this area will add a fresh perspective. But there are a few main reasons for this archive to ensure that important to us. The first Catholic mission in Syria and Anatolia, the Protestant missions established much earlier than they even existed since the 17th century on. Therefore, these materials will provide a broader perspective on the changing status of the Armenian group of Catholic institutions in the regions in which they operate. On the other hand, Ankara, Erzurum, Van, Harput, Aleppo, Armenian Catholics in many provinces such as Diyarbakir, the other Armenian communities, sometimes quite detached competition and a lot of them and they lived off their interior. Therefore, what we know about these groups much more limited. Another point many Catholic missions were able to stay in place during the genocide. And they tried to intervene in both cases, they were both first-hand witnesses of the massacres and destruction of communities. Of their documentation is accessible also from the foundation modifies what we know about the destruction of the Ottoman Armenian communities, will certainly add an important layer. For example, as an example that comes to my mind first, the Catholic Archbishop of Trabzon Nazlıyan memories are a very important resource. Including his collection containing the personal documents of the Catholic clergy, really will be invaluable importance. Finally, the Catholic Armenians during the genocide, they saw many places in different treatment; The most basic example of this, perhaps the Armenian province of Ankara. Also Another critical areas, the Armenian population mainly consists of the Catholic Mardin. For these places of Vatican documents will greatly materials offer new horizons will think. Also, slowly coming into focus attention outside the perpetrators appeared, especially (foreign) will provide a major contribution to the debate on the exact responsibilities of the state actors in the Armenian Genocide. Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany’s is that they were not involved in the initiatives of Catholic representatives and why these documents will be very enlightening, I hope, will be included in the published material.