Lebanon: Victims of Armenian Genocide to be canonized

Soldiers round up Armenian civilians

Almost a century since the Armenian Genocide – carried out in the territories of Turkey in 1915 - the Armenian Apostolic Church has confirmed its intention to proceed with the canonization for martyrdom of the victims of what the Armenians call the 'Great Evil'.

The confirmation came from the meeting of the Committee for the canonization set up ad hoc and held from January 27 to 29 in Antelias, Lebanon, at the Cathedral of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia.

The meeting was convened with the blessing of both of the highest authorities of the Armenian Apostolic Church: the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I.

The bishops and priests who make up the committee discussed the more concrete aspects of the procedures and modalities to be followed for the canonization, which will have to be completed by 2015, one centenary after the genocide. During the meeting aspects related to the preparation of the texts for the commemorative liturgies were discussed. The Committee will meet again at the end of May, at the Patriarchal See of Echmiadzin, to develop the final details for the collective canonization of the victims of the Great Evil.

Source: Fides