Catholicos of All Armenians Meets His Holiness the Pope
16.09.2025
On September 16, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, accompanied by a delegation and Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity, traveled from the Vatican to the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
Following a fraternal embrace, the heads of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church held a private conversation.
The Catholicos of All Armenians warmly congratulated the successor of the See of Saint Peter on his election and 70th birthday. He prayed that the Heavenly Lord would grant Pope Leo XIV strength and vitality, and bless his pontificate with abundant fruits for the glory of God and for the peace and prosperity of humanity.
His Holiness Karekin II expressed satisfaction that the fraternal ties between the two Churches have been strengthened through gracious meetings and joint testimonies of faith. He recalled the visit of the blessed Pope Saint John Paul II to Armenia in 2001, as well as welcoming Pope Francis to Holy Etchmiadzin in 2016 on the occasion of his pilgrimage, “A Visit to the First Christian Nation.”
Among the notable milestones in the relations between the Armenian and Roman Catholic Churches, His Holiness highlighted the Holy Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica in 2015 on the occasion of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the proclamation of the Armenian Church’s greatest saint, Gregory of Narek, as Doctor of the Universal Church (Doctor Ecclesiae universalis).
The Catholicos expressed confidence that relations between the two Churches will continue to grow in the same spirit of Christian brotherhood and warmth, producing new fruits of collaboration.
During their conversation, Pope Leo XIV and Catholicos Karekin II addressed troubling developments around the world, as well as the challenges and trials facing Armenia and the Armenian people.
Pope Leo’s attention was also drawn to the plight of Armenians forcibly displaced from their ancestral homeland in Artsakh, to the protection of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage now under threat, and to the imperative of releasing prisoners of war and hostages.
The two leaders emphasized the vital role of the Churches in promoting global justice and peace, and in fostering harmonious coexistence among peoples, while remaining faithful to the Lord’s calling — nurturing faith, hope, and love in the hearts of people.
They underscored the importance of uniting the Churches’ efforts to spread the light of the Gospel, protect human rights, and build a secure and prosperous world.
In conclusion, His Holiness Karekin II invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Armenia.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the members of the Catholicos’ delegation received Pope Leo’s blessing, and gifts were exchanged.
As part of his visit to the Vatican, the Catholicos visited the Basilica of Saint Mary in Rome, where he prayed at the tomb of the late Pope Francis for the repose of his soul.
