Catholicos Karekin II: Humanity has moral responsibility to struggle against crimes of genocide

Below we present the address of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II at the Global Forum against the Crime of Genocide.

Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Armenia,
Dear Spiritual Brothers,
Honored Participants and Guests of the Conference,

We greet you on the occasion of this conference organized as part of the events surrounding the 100th Anniversary of the Genocide of the Armenians, and extend blessings from the spiritual center of all Armenians – the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The darkest and most tragic page of our people’s recent history is the Armenian Genocide – planned and implemented at the beginning of the 20th century in Ottoman Turkey – when approximately one and one half million Armenians were lost. Today, 100 years later, that crime is at the center of attention of the international community. The recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by an increasing number of countries – as the gravest offense committed against mankind – inspires us with confidence that it will receive universal recognition and fair evaluation.

It is rare when a state that has coordinated genocide, recognizes and accepts responsibility for the crime. In this regard, Germany can be an example to the present authorities in Turkey and other states that have committed genocide.

The denial of genocide is not only the trampling of the rights, dignity and justice of the people who have been subjected to genocide, but is also destructive to the foundations of international rights and universal morality, and causes great damage to the relationships among nations and peoples and their peaceful coexistence.

The disregard on the part of the international community at the time for the crimes of genocide, and allowing it to remain unpunished and not condemned – as well as the denialism – caused the chain of genocides and calamities to continue. The same evil-born thinking that planned and implemented the frightful, savage massacres of the Armenians, gave birth to the Holocaust, and the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur.

Humanity is paying too great a price for the denial of the crime of genocide and allowing it to remain unpunished. The tolerance of denialism makes man indifferent to the suffering of his fellow man, and silences the voice of moral responsibility in the life of society, depriving it from the task of preventing the repetition of similar horrors.

Humanity has a moral responsibility to struggle against the crimes of genocide. Morality, which should be the strong foundation column of societal life and the policies of governments, unfortunately today is often sacrificed for global-political interests. The results of these defective positions and attitudes are disastrous for many nations. For us Armenians, it represented the lives of one and one half million souls, our lost homeland, and our cultural heritage - partly destroyed and partly under constant threat of destruction.

Today, humanity witnesses new tragedies in all corners of the world. Thousands of people are becoming victims of national-religious intolerance and extremism, especially in the countries of the Middle East, as well as most recently in Libya – the faithful of the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches. Atrocities that claim innocent lives, regardless of the method and manner, are crimes against mankind and should be condemned in the strongest way. The struggle against them, as the challenge of this century, is the debt of every nation, state, international community and organization.

The apostle teaches us that if a member of the body is suffering, the other members suffer together with it. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 12:26) Indeed, during the past 100 years, many countries, nations, Churches, religious and international organizations and individuals have shared in the pain of the Armenian people, and through their position, have contributed to the triumph of justice.

We once again express our gratitude to all those individuals, nations, Churches and states, who provided refuge and aided the exiled sons and daughters of our people in rebuilding their national and spiritual life; as well as those who have recognized and condemned the Genocide of the Armenians. We convey our thanks to the participants of this conference, the heads of our sister Churches, the representatives of ecclesiastical and religious organizations, state officials of friendly countries, scholars in science and culture, and all those who stand with our people and bring their significant contributions to the condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and all crimes committed against mankind.

We pray for our Omnipotent God to keep the entire world in peace and prosperity; and that no people ever again experience the tragedy of genocide. May the Lord bless the paths of brotherhood and justice among men and nations. Amen.