COMMEMORATION OF THE 93RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
0 Comments Published by georgy on Monday, April 28 at 1:10 PM.
Hundreds of Lebanese Armenians, young and old , renewed their pledge on April 24 to continue their national struggle for justice and paid their respects to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in front of the first ever Genocide memorial in Antelias.
Archbishop Souren Kataroyian officiated the Holy Mass in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The procession headed by His Holiness Aram I then moved to the chapel where the remains of Genocide victims are displayed and a requiem service was held around the eternal flame dedicated to their memory.
Lebanese Ministers and Members of Parliament, the director of the “Calouste Gulbenkian” Foundation’s Armenian Department Dr. Zaven Yegavian, the Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon Vahan Der Ghevontian and a large crowd of Armenians attended the mass.
Addressing the resolute Armenians gathered in Antelias His Holiness spoke about three words and the messages embedded in them.
a. Memory: “Memory is one of the most fundamental factors of human life. It is through memory that man lives, organizes himself, constructs his identity and preserves his values and traditions. Memory is the source of history. The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey is imprinted in the memory of the Armenian nation in a way that can never be erased. It is not only recorded in historic documents, but also rooted in the collective memory, spirit and life of the Armenian nation. We should not forget our collective memory; every Armenian, wherever he or she is, should live with this memory. The memory of the Armenian Genocide will give us the faith to live, the will to fight and the hope to acquire our nation’s rights. To forget our martyrs? It would mean the death of our nation,” said the Pontiff.
b. Struggle: “In addition to their obligations, people also have rights. They should stand by those rights and demand them when they are violated. The Genocide committed against the Armenian nation is an issue of justice, a human rights issue. Therefore, the Armenian nation today demands justice from Turkey and the international community. This struggle is the right and obligation of the Armenian nation. Our nation’s children should demand the rights of our 1.5 million victims wherever they are, in a civilized manner and without recourse to violence,” he continued.
c. Unity: “A nation becomes strong when it is united, when all its children transcend their differences and gather around their collective values and demands. The Armenian nation should unite around its national struggle, plan together, and present its cause to the world together as the rightful owner of the nation’s rights. Armenia and the Diaspora should together pursue our nation’s rights with a clear division of labor,” the Pontiff concluded.
Wreaths and flowers were then placed around the chapel in memory of the Armenian martyrs. Armenians of all ages lit candled and solemnly remembered their victims.
The HMEM trumpet and drummers band then played national tunes, following which His Holiness praised the Armenian youth from the balcony of the Veharan.
On April 23, the students of Armenian national schools gathered in Antelias, where a Requiem Service was performed by Primate Bishop Kegham Khatcherian. The Director of the Department of Armenian Affairs of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Dr. Zaven Yegavian, addressed the students, calling upon them to pursue our nation’s legitimate rights.
On the same evening, Antelias was once again became the gathering place of hundreds of young Armenians, who pledged to remain loyal to the legacy of their victims during an event organized by Armenian youth associations.
Archbishop Souren Kataroyian officiated the Holy Mass in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The procession headed by His Holiness Aram I then moved to the chapel where the remains of Genocide victims are displayed and a requiem service was held around the eternal flame dedicated to their memory.
Lebanese Ministers and Members of Parliament, the director of the “Calouste Gulbenkian” Foundation’s Armenian Department Dr. Zaven Yegavian, the Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon Vahan Der Ghevontian and a large crowd of Armenians attended the mass.
Addressing the resolute Armenians gathered in Antelias His Holiness spoke about three words and the messages embedded in them.
a. Memory: “Memory is one of the most fundamental factors of human life. It is through memory that man lives, organizes himself, constructs his identity and preserves his values and traditions. Memory is the source of history. The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey is imprinted in the memory of the Armenian nation in a way that can never be erased. It is not only recorded in historic documents, but also rooted in the collective memory, spirit and life of the Armenian nation. We should not forget our collective memory; every Armenian, wherever he or she is, should live with this memory. The memory of the Armenian Genocide will give us the faith to live, the will to fight and the hope to acquire our nation’s rights. To forget our martyrs? It would mean the death of our nation,” said the Pontiff.
b. Struggle: “In addition to their obligations, people also have rights. They should stand by those rights and demand them when they are violated. The Genocide committed against the Armenian nation is an issue of justice, a human rights issue. Therefore, the Armenian nation today demands justice from Turkey and the international community. This struggle is the right and obligation of the Armenian nation. Our nation’s children should demand the rights of our 1.5 million victims wherever they are, in a civilized manner and without recourse to violence,” he continued.
c. Unity: “A nation becomes strong when it is united, when all its children transcend their differences and gather around their collective values and demands. The Armenian nation should unite around its national struggle, plan together, and present its cause to the world together as the rightful owner of the nation’s rights. Armenia and the Diaspora should together pursue our nation’s rights with a clear division of labor,” the Pontiff concluded.
Wreaths and flowers were then placed around the chapel in memory of the Armenian martyrs. Armenians of all ages lit candled and solemnly remembered their victims.
The HMEM trumpet and drummers band then played national tunes, following which His Holiness praised the Armenian youth from the balcony of the Veharan.
On April 23, the students of Armenian national schools gathered in Antelias, where a Requiem Service was performed by Primate Bishop Kegham Khatcherian. The Director of the Department of Armenian Affairs of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Dr. Zaven Yegavian, addressed the students, calling upon them to pursue our nation’s legitimate rights.
On the same evening, Antelias was once again became the gathering place of hundreds of young Armenians, who pledged to remain loyal to the legacy of their victims during an event organized by Armenian youth associations.
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