On September 16, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, located just outside Vatican City. The meeting marked their first encounter since Pope Leo’s election earlier this year, during which Karekin II extended an official invitation to the pontiff to visit Armenia.
The Catholicos was accompanied by Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, as well as members of his delegation: Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Head of the Postgraduate Department of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary; Rev. Fr. Garegin Hambardzumyan, Director of the Department of Inter-Church Relations; Rev. Fr. Yesayi Grigoryan, Staff-Bearer of the Catholicos; and Rev. Fr. Vahram Melikyan, Director of the Catholicosal Office. At the Vatican, they were joined by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Pontifical Legate of Western Europe and Representative of the Catholicos of All Armenians to the Holy See, and Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland.
Following a fraternal embrace, the two spiritual leaders held a private meeting. Karekin II congratulated the Pope on his election to the See of Saint Peter and his 70th birthday, offering prayers for strength, wisdom, and a fruitful papacy. He recalled milestones in relations between the Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic Churches, including Pope John Paul II’s 2001 visit to Armenia, Pope Francis’s 2016 pilgrimage to Etchmiadzin, the 2015 Divine Liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica marking the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, and the proclamation of St. Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Universal Church.
The Catholicos emphasized the importance of continued cooperation between the two Churches and expressed confidence that these relations will continue to develop in the same brotherly spirit and warmth, resulting in new joint achievements. He briefed Pope Leo on the plight of Armenians forcibly displaced from their ancestral homeland of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the urgent need to preserve endangered Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage now under threat in territories controlled by Azerbaijan, and the plight of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages still detained in Azerbaijan.
During their private conversation, the two spiritual leaders also discussed global crises, disasters, and troubling developments around the world, as well as the challenges and trials facing Armenia and the Armenian people.
Both leaders underscored the mission of the Churches to promote justice and peace in the world and to foster harmony among peoples, ensuring the harmonious coexistence of nations. They emphasized their shared calling to spread the light of the Gospel, defend human rights, and strengthen faith, hope, and love in human hearts, stressing the need for joint efforts to build a safer, more just, and secure world.
The meeting concluded with the Pope’s blessing on the Armenian delegation and an exchange of gifts. During his Vatican visit, Catholicos Karekin II also prayed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, at the tomb of Pope Francis, offering prayers for the repose of his soul.
