President of the Pontifical Council of the Vatican for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi is on an official visit to Armenia. He visited Yerevan State University where he met with members of the academic council and students. The presentation of the Armenian and Russian versions of the book Saint Gregory the Illuminator: Common Heritage of Christianity was held during the meeting.

“My ministry, that is, the Pontifical Council for Culture, and the Armenian Embassy in the Vatican organize several events to make Armenian culture more popular among the Catholics,” the Cardinal said, reminding that the Armenian Embassy in the Holy See recently organized a photo exhibition called “Fables of the East: Christianity Ahead of the Challenges of the New Millennium” at the Vittoriano Museum Complex in Rome. RA President Serzh Sargsyan also attended the opening ceremony and, according to the Cardinal, this means that the relations are developing at the highest level.

When asked if he would be attending the Armenian Genocide Commemoration ceremony at Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial on April 24^th next year, the Cardinal said he didn’t know whether he would come  or not, but “the Armenians want the Pope to visit Armenia”.

Gianfranco Ravasi mentioned that the Catholic Church will convey a message of fraternity and solidarity to the Armenian people on that day.

“Humanity remembers, everyone remembers. I don’t know where I’ll be, but I’ll definitely remember that moment,” the Cardinal said.

The Cardinal also touched upon Azerbaijan’s eradication of Armenian cross-stones in Julfa and voiced hope that the meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Paris today will become decisive in order to prevent the repetition of such atrocities in the future, reports Panorama.am.