Why Pope Francis is adored in Armenia, and why Türkiye is angry

Why is Pope Francis so popular in Armenia and why is he adored here? That's the question that resurfaces in this country days after his death.

There are several answers. Argentine Jorge Bergoglio was the first head of the Catholic Church to recognize the massacre of the Armenian people as genocide.

Although he had previously referred to the issue in those terms, he forcefully defined it as the "first genocide of the 20th century, " "atrocious" and "insane" during a mass he officiated in April 2015 on the 100th anniversary of that tragedy.

This April 24, 2025, marked the 110th anniversary. "That was historic in Armenia," said Church priest Shahe Ananyan, during a visit to the country by an Argentine delegation.

The massacres that occurred between 1915 and 1917, of at least one and a half million men, women, children and the elderly in this Christian nation, were one of several committed under the defunct Ottoman Empire.

And the declaration of the now deceased Pope was not his only gesture towards the Armenian people and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which separated from the Catholic Church after the Council of Chalcedon (451), which established the dual nature, human and divine, of Christ.

The Turkish government then summoned the Vatican ambassador to protest Francis's comments. Turkey, a state heir to the Ottoman Empire, does not recognize the Armenian genocide, unlike other countries.

A year after those statements that enraged Ankara, in June 2016, Francis made a visit to Armenia, during which he shared a moving embrace with Patriarch Karekin II. And together they left an unforgettable image for history: that of him and his spiritual colleague releasing doves of peace from the shrine of Kahlo Virap, heading towards Mount Ararat, a few kilometers from Turkey, whose authorities were once again angry.

As if that weren't enough, in his Easter address on Sunday the 20th before his death , Francis expressed his hope for the signing and implementation of a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and emphasized the importance of peace and hope in the region. "Let us pray that a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon be signed and implemented."

Now, Karekin II is not only one of more than twenty spiritual leaders who sent their condolences to the Vatican for the death of the pontiff on Monday, April 21. His presence is also expected in Rome this Saturday, when the funeral of the Argentine Pope Francis concludes.

This Thursday, April 24, Clarín witnessed the visit of Karekin II and his church to the memorial for the victims of the genocide, which stands on a hill in Yerevan. Hours earlier, the entire Armenian government had been there, starting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Following statements and media reports on the 110th anniversary of the genocide, the Erdogan government, through its embassy in Buenos Aires, clarified that the Turkish state considers "the events of 1915 as a shared pain." "That's why, every year, our President sends a message to the Archbishop of Armenia in Turkey. I would like to share this message with you. I hope your news can also give him space."

Clarín is in Yerevan with other journalists, invited by Friends of Armenia, a group led by businessman Juan Pablo Gechidjian from the United States. Among those present are economist and Central Bank director Juan Curuchet; ALPI vice president Adriana Vaccaro; and Roberto Macho, president of the Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce in Florida.

"Blessed memory, Pope Francis was a humble, courageous, and kind pastor who faithfully followed in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ. He assumed the high and responsible mission of the papacy in difficult times and bore witness to the Gospel, consistently defending justice and peace, showing special attention to those in need, and contributing significantly to strengthening inter-church relations," the Catholicos wrote in its message.

The priest will be present in Rome this Saturday alongside Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, who will be part of the delegations of heads of state with Javier Milei, Giorgia Meloni, Donald Trump, Lula da Silva, and several others.

Karekin II also recalled with gratitude the Pope's attitude toward the Armenian people. "With particular consolation, we recall that the Holy Father constantly offered prayers for a world wounded by war and injustice, particularly for our people suffering the grave consequences of the war in Artsakh," he noted.

And he highlighted three significant gestures during Francis' pontificate: the Mass celebrated in 2015 in St. Peter's Basilica for the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the proclamation of St. Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Universal Church, and the Pope's official visit to Armenia in 2016.