The Armenian Center of Argentina celebrated a mass in commemoration of the 106th anniversary of the genocide

This afternoon, to commemorate the new anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the Armenian Center of Argentina organized a religious ceremony “In memory of the holy martyrs.” It took place in the cathedral Saint Gregory the Illuminator of Buenos Aires, located in the Buenos Aires district of Palermo.

Due to the sanitary situation, the ceremony only welcomed a minority group of people outside the cathedral. “We are living a very special day, which years ago for our grandparents was a day of mourning. For us, it is a demand for justice and reparation. Today i can say with the news of the President of the United States, it is a joy for us. But recognizing is not enough, it is not enough. Measures must be taken, measures must be taken so that people who have lost their territory and their homeland have the possibility of returning and becoming owners of their homeland which they left there. We must continue to affirm this. And not just seek recognition, ”said Arzobispo Kissag Mouradian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Argentina and Chile.

The Archbishop referred to the statements of the American president, Joe biden, who officially recognized the Armenian Genocide and said: “Every year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Armenian genocide of the Ottoman era and we promise once again to prevent this atrocity from happening again. “With this phrase, Joe Biden became the first president of his country to call genocide the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians during the First World War.

Mouradian added: “In the world, there are many countries that recognize the genocide, but what does it give us? Solutions must be found so that the Armenian people can find their historic homeland. Don’t miss the opportunities, look ahead and keep fighting. No matter the weather, we can wait whatever it takes to find our homeland. We will continue to pray to our holy martyrs. We continue to pray but asking for their intersection, their help, so that they strengthen us to continue our task as a people ”.

The Ambassador of Armenia in Argentina, Hovhannes Virabyan, expressed his feelings through a text read by his wife, Manushag Arakelyan: “It’s the 106th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. It’s a day our thoughts are on Tsitsernakaberd (Monument to the victims of the Armenian genocide), bowing respectfully before the eternal fire which immortalizes the memory of the million and a half innocent martyrs. It is a day of deep remembrance and reflection for all Armenians. There is no family that has not suffered loss, nor a history that has not been incomplete. There is no one whose grandparents did not have to leave their ancestral home to undertake the path of exile and salvation ”.

“Many countries have welcomed the miraculous survivors of the genocide with open arms; and it became their new home for them. In his second homeland. But April 24 is not just a day of damage and defeat. It is a day which demonstrates the strength and the capacity of the Armenian to survive and to resurface from the most tragic situations. A day when Armenians rebelled against death and oblivion, ”Virabyan said.

The Armenian Church is an appropriate branch of Christianity. According to tradition, it was founded by the apostles San Tadeo and San Bartolomé, which is why it is known as the Armenian Apostolic Church. This afternoon, from the cathedral, they remembered the victims and prayed for their memories.

“Unlike previous years, both for Armenia and for Armenians in the diaspora, this commemoration comes against the backdrop of the terrible consequences of the 44-day war that Azerbaijan and Turkey have launched against the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020. The medical action was developed in the context of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ignoring the call of the UN Secretary General to freeze conflicts to avoid humanitarian disasters, ” did he declare. Adriana kasbarian, President of the Armenian Institutions of the Argentine Republic (IARA).

And continued: “The annihilation of the Armenian people, between 1915 and 1923, planned and carried out by the Ottoman Empire, and denied by Turkey, heir to the empire, is an event of the last century.. However, the 44-day war revealed just how widespread his threat still is. After the tragic defeat suffered by Armenia and the occupation of 70% of the historical territory of Artsakh, Azerbaijan has not ceased to exert military pressure ”.

President Alberto Fernández sent a written message to the whole community. There, he expressed: “I would like to thank you for the invitation you sent me to accompany you in the religious ceremony you are celebrating on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. As you know, the Argentine Republic enacted Law 26199, which establishes April 24 of each year as “ Day of action for tolerance and respect between peoples ”, in commemoration of the genocide of which the Armenian people was victim, in the spirit that their memory will be a permanent lesson on the stages of the present and the objectives of our future ”.

“Without a doubt, These massacres have forever marked this thousand-year-old people, the Armenians. The Argentine people know this very well because it is a community deeply rooted in our country. We grew up together. I know that many of you love Argentina and the culture, traditions and memory of your ancestors. Today we remember this tragedy together. Today is a very difficult day. I want to accompany you with the understanding, respect, solidarity and affection with which I have always done. Receive my sincere and brotherly embrace, ”wrote the President.

“Before the final blessing, I want to close this act by thanking God, but We do not have to thank any country, government, civil servant or president, because as I said once, justice is not appreciated. Justice is done. I don’t know how many years we haven’t had a homeland. There was Armenia, there was the Armenian people, but the country was not Armenians. Today we have the country, the independence and the possibility of showing the whole world the genocide committed by the Turks ”, added Kissag Mouradian.

Photos: Nicolás Stulberg

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