On the 109th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide

Video - An Exclusive Interview with His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian:

“We are witnessing in the principles that we live by in our societies a kind of genocide or crime against spiritual and humanitarian values”

The Middle East Council of Churches

109 years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, and the Armenians' wounds have not yet healed. It is a massacre and a tragedy committed against people who have always striven and struggled to survive and achieve truth and justice... But are there any listening ears to all this pain? The pain is deep and the international community is not doing anything, but what is certain is that the memory will remain engraved forever in the hearts of the Armenian people and that heavenly justice will be revealed and achieved, “For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face” (Psalm 11: 7).

In commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Catholic Family, MECC organized a conference about the Armenian Genocide entitled “Keeping Memory Alive”, delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs. It was held on Monday 22 April 2024, at the Theatre of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Geitaoui, Lebanon.

In this context, the team of the Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches made an exclusive interview with His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, in which he spoke about his aspirations regarding the Armenian issue, stressing the necessity of consolidating spiritual and human values.

First of all, His Beatitude explains that the lesson we draw 109 years after the Armenian Genocide, and after the occurrence of many tragic massacres, is to always remember the past so that we do not repeat it in the present. He added, "Unfortunately, today we see that history is repeating itself. We are witnessing the same style, the same famine, and the same deprivation in all parts of the world, and not just in one point. In every country and corner of this globe, there is violence and crime against peaceful people."

As for how societies deal with injustice, His Beatitude Patriarch Minassian mentions that societies are like the waves of the sea, always in motion. “We sometimes notice some decadence, and other times a brilliance in human, spiritual, and social principles and values. Unfortunately, in our days, we are experiencing a kind of tragedy that is deeper than the tragedy of massacres and spiritual death in human society.”

But are we witnessing new genocides today? His Beatitude answers, “Of course. I am not afraid of what kills the body, but rather what kills the soul. As well as, we are witnessing in the principles that we live by in our societies a kind of genocide or crime against spiritual and humanitarian values.”

In light of all the challenges surrounding societies today, the Armenian people are still experiencing additional pain and pressure resulting from the catastrophic genocide that changed the course of their history, so how can they resist this bitter reality? His Beatitude says, “I belong to the first generation after the massacres. This generation includes people who were born or lived without grandfathers and grandmothers, but faith in the Lord remains the only way to continue, in addition to spiritual life, perseverance, patience, and forgiveness. Only memory remains, and memory never dies.”

Hence, His Beatitude adds, “There is a heartbreak that remains in the human heart that we cannot fight because it is a reality. But when a person deepens the spiritual relationship with our Lord and identifies our Lord in our daily lives, we live a kind of consolation, hope, and mutual love. With love there are sacrifice, forgiveness, compromise, and sharing, in order to avoid repeating these events committed against the Armenian people.”

In a final word, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian thanks all the members and representatives of the Middle East Council of Churches, wishing it many years of success. His Beatitude also stresses that “we live together the memory of our suffering. This is the love with which our Lord always reminds us, “Love one another. As I have loved you” (John 13: 34) and this is also the testimony that we want to present to the environment in which we live.”