Vatican City, May 15, 2009 / 10:03 am
This morning the Holy Father visited the Armenian Patriarchal Apostolic Church of Jerusalem, where he was greeted by Patriarch Torkom Manoukian. The Pope assured the Armenian Community of his prayers and spoke of the need for Christian unity.
There are 10,000 people of the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate who are present in the Palestinian Territories of Jordan and Israel.
"I count it a great blessing," said the Pope in his address, "to have met in this past year with the Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians Karekin II and with the Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I. Their visits to the Holy See, and the moments of prayer which we shared, have strengthened us in fellowship and confirmed our commitment to the sacred cause of promoting Christian unity."
The Holy Father also mentioned his appreciation for the commitment of the Armenian Apostolic Church "to the continuing theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. This dialogue, sustained by prayer, has made progress in overcoming the burden of past misunderstandings, and offers much promise for the future."