What the Vatican archives reveal about the Armenian Genocide.

What the Vatican archives reveal about the Armenian Genocide. (VaticanRadio).[GoogleTranslate].

This is probably one of the darkest pages of the twentieth century that the Armenians call Medz Yeghern "Grand Mal", namely the massacres were victims almost a million and a half of their under the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917.

And that's branded with the Armenians commemorate the centenary of Friday these tragic events, which constitute for them a "genocide." A term that Turkey rejects categorically denying any intention of systematic extermination of the Armenians, preferring instead to speak of "civil war".

At the Vatican, a Mass presided by Pope Francis, was celebrated on April 12 in memory of the victims of this "crazy and terrible extermination" ... The Holy See and Pope Benedict XV, at the time, were among alone have taken the measure of current events, and engaged fully on the diplomatic and humanitarian level, in favor of the Armenians, regardless of their religious sensibilities. This is revealed precious Vatican archives, studied and published recently by Father George Ruyssen, Belgian Jesuit , professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

http://media02.radiovaticana.va/audio/audio2/mp3/00474749.mp3 (French).

Voice recording of Father George Ruyssen.


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What Demonstrate these archives? In What are they exceptional? It is that they clearly show that the Vatican is driven by interests that are not economic and geopolitical interests that were indeed the interests of other powers which also relate the events of the genocide but from another point of view while the Vatican, the Church is essentially driven by an interest, I would say, spiritual and also humanitarian and therefore not by economic, geopolitical or military interests, if you want.

These archives therefore attest that the Holy See was informed about current events at the time and even better, he tried to intervene in favor of the Armenians. In what way?

What happened April 24, 1915? It is a raid, deportation of 300 to 400 Armenians from the capital, so of Constantinople and Istanbul were arrested and deported to the interior of the Ottoman Empire.

Now at that time, the same day, the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Angelo Maria Dolci was informed of these events since two days later, on April 24 (it's a letter of April 27 if I am not mistaken) it sends a report to the Vatican in relating this event, this raid of 300-400 deported Armenians within the Ottoman Empire. Then, gradually, the apostolic delegate comes to collect other information.

It will be informed by the Armenian bishops themselves but also by the Franciscan missionaries, Dominicans and Jesuits who were also present in the Ottoman Empire.

He'll be informed, it will collect reports of these people who are eye witnesses to what is happening today. For example, in Mardin, there occurred this or Trebizond, yesterday there was a deportation. So these people, these monks will write him reports he will know the Vatican. What the Vatican did? Well, the Pope has written twice to the Ottoman Sultan, Mohammed V, who was Sultan at that time to stop the killings, saying, " Well, I am aware of what is happening in the empire and I beg you to stop these killings . " So the first letter of Pope Benedict XV was dated September 10, 1915.

So if I may, I can give a piece of this letter I have here before me

" Majesty, while sorrow for the horrors of the great struggle in which, with the great nations of Europe, is hired the powerful empire of your majesty (the Ottoman Empire) we tear the soul very painful groans echo of an entire people, which in the broad areas of the Ottoman, is subjected to unspeakable suffering arrivals up us. The Armenian nation has seen many of his son sent to their deaths, others many imprisoned or exiled including several clerics and even some bishops. And now it is referred that entire populations of villages and towns are forced to abandon their homes to move in the middle of the Great Plains and suffering in distant places or concentration in addition to moral suffering, they to endure the privations of abject poverty and even tortures of hunger. We believe, Sire, that such excesses take place against the will of the government of your majesty . " There was another letter since the killings will continue.

Following the Pope's letter, the massacres slowdown a little. Things will calm down a little but not much order to stop the killings. The massacres will continue and this is what will result in a second letter of Pope Benedict XV in the same sultan, the sultan Mohammed V, which is dated 12 March 1918.

And there is a letter that, in my opinion, unknown (I do not know her at all), it's a letter that the Pope sent three days before the end of the First World War, that is to say on 8 November 1918, three days before the armistice of 11 November. He sent a letter to President Wilson, the US president when the Pope advocates the independence of Armenia.

The Pope, in a note dated 1 August 1917, refers to this note in his letter. It was a note in favor of peace. Benedict XV intervenes several times during the first World War in favor of peace.

The note of 1 August 1917 mentions various points: the exchange of prisoners of war, etc. But one of the points is the independence of Armenia, is the creation of an independent Armenia. That will be the note of peace from 1 August 1917 will directly inspire the 14 points of President Wilson. He will present after the 1st World War, when the peace conference, the 14 points that are inspired by the note of peace of Pope Benedict XV.

The Holy See has of course worked, you've discussed at length, on the diplomatic front. Is that one can say that he intervened at other levels as well?

On a humanitarian level. The effort of the Holy See is not just a political but also diplomatic effort at the humanitarian level.

Remember that during the First World War, UNICEF, the High Commissioner for Refugees, the international organizations did not exist at the time. During the First World War, what was? The Red Cross and then, the Catholic Church, also Protestants.

The Catholic Church and the Pope is invested in humanitarian terms by sending money to refugees, survivors, orphans. And unfortunately it is a little known point.

By initiative of the apostolic delegate, Archbishop Angelo Maria Dolci (his nickname is the angel of the Armenians), the Pope founded a "Benedict XV" orphanage for Armenian orphans in Constantinople.

And then came those orphans in Italy. And where did they come to Italy? They were housed in the papal palace in Castel Gandolfo. These orphans stayed there about a year. They were hosted by the Pope himself before being transferred to Turin.

A hundred years later, so today, the time is just as tragic. Persecution against Christians are increasingly violent and in several countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Syria, Iraq, etc. The Pope, before these tragedies denounced the indifference of some and even their silence complicit in the atrocities we suffer today.

In your opinion, in what spirit should be approached this centenary in light of what is happening today and what lesson can we and should we draw?

Unfortunately, things are repeated. What we read in the reports sent by the Apostolic Delegate in the reports there a hundred years, one could read today by putting in place of Armenian place names from Nigeria, Kenya, the Syria, Iraq.

Today we can read exactly the same things that happened a hundred years ago. And still, indifference is the same as a hundred years ago. The lesson drawn in, it is this indifference that the Pope, rightly hammered: indifference, apathy powers.