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His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos all All Armenians, issued a message on the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide commemorated on April 24. The message reads:

"Dearly Beloved Armenian people in the homeland and the Diaspora,

Today we pay our tribute to the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, who gave their lives for the sake of faith and the homeland.

During the Genocide, our people became the witness of the massacre of one and a half million Armenian children, the destruction of their national-spiritual values, our sanctuaries, monasteries and churches, our villages and cities, as well as, they lost most of their historical homeland.

Our martyrs, being suffered terribly, “became the participant of Christ sufferings, His death and descendant of His Resurrection” (Philippians 3.10), and staying steadfast in their faith, they were irresistible in spirit and moved from death to eternal life deserving the unfading crown of the Saints.

Dear faithful, this year, because of the pandemic, we do not have the opportunity to visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, to get together in our churches and at the memorials to commemorate the memory of our holy martyrs. In this situation, in our homes and in the presence of immortal memory of our martyrs, with spiritual solidarity let us pray and make a vow to implement the national cherished visions for the safety of our free and independent homeland, progress and prosperity, further development of the Diaspora, the universal recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, for our fair judgment – victory of our demand. We can make these dreams come true with a consciousness of duty and responsibility towards the nation and the homeland, via national solidarity and uniting our efforts for the sake of the homeland and the bright future of the Armenians.

Dear pious people, on this cherished day, we invite you to ask the intercession for our Holy Martyrs to God in heartfelt prayer, may our lives be in peace and solidarity under the blessings and grace of Risen Christ, may we overcome the trials we face, and may the Lord under His blessings and care protect our country and our people throughout the world, today and forever. Amen.”