Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II issued the following statement marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Today, in Armenia and in the communities of the diaspora, we commemorate the memory of our holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire, who became immortal, preserving in their souls the love for Christ and for the homeland.

April 24 symbolically summarizes the collective suffering of our people, in which the memories of one and a half million martyred Armenians, the children of our nation who lost their homeland, the exiled children, our monasteries and churches subjected to cultural genocide, and the destroyed settlements are condensed. However, that tragedy did not break the spirit of our nation. Our people survived the genocide, reborn a new life everywhere, and reestablished the independent statehood of Armenia.

April 24 is a day of committment, intertwined with the demands of our people scattered around the world, which are free from hostility and hatred, aimed at restoring justice and truth and excluding the denial of the genocide disaster.

A hundred years after the catastrophic events of the Genocide, when such terrible crimes were seen as a thing of the past, unfortunately, new genocidal acts depopulated Artsakh, forcibly deporting more than 120,000 Artsakh residents. In the face of this difficult situation and existing threats, the sacrifice of our martyrs obliges us to strengthen our unity and solidarity and strengthen the Armenian state. Indeed, it is with nationwide unity that we will be able to make effective efforts for the universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide and to bring to fruition steps and initiatives for the sake of national progress and a peaceful and secure life.

Let us pray and ask that through the intercession of our martyred saints, the heavenly graces of peace and the mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ be distributed to the entire world, our homeland, and people today and always.