Pope prays at Armenian church on last day of Turkey visit, conveys greetings to Catholicos

On the fourth and final day of his Apostolic Journey to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV began the day with prayer at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul, Vatican News informed Sunday In his address, the Pope sent his greetings to Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and the entire Armenian Apostolic community in Turkey.

He recalled that the first to join the declaration between a Pope and an Oriental Orthodox Patriarch was signed in May 1970 between Pope Paul VI and Catholicos Vasken I.

“Since then, by God’s grace, the ‘dialogue of charity’ between our Churches has flourished,” he said. The Pope pointed to the 12th-century Armenian Catholicos St. Nerses IV Shnorhali and his tireless work to “reconcile the churches in order to fulfill Christ’s prayer that ‘they may all be one.’”

“May the example of Saint Nerses inspire us and his prayer strengthen us on the path to full communion!” he prayed. In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV thanked Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul) of the Armenian Apostolic Church, for his warm welcome to the Patriarchal Cathedral.