Mass honoring Pope Francis finishes in Echmiadzin mother cathedral (updates, videos, photos)

12:54 The Pope gave his blessings to the Christian believers attending the ceremony. The crowd thanked the ponitific with the exclamations “Viva Papa”, applauding loudly to herald the end of the Mass.

Piercing throw the crowd, the priests at the cathedral headed to the patriarchate to offer their blessings to the thousands of people gathered there.

 A small child approached the Pope, handing to him the Armenian three-color.

The two religious leaders will visit the monastery Khor Virap later on Sunday. 


12:52pm: During the religious service, Catholicos Garegin II gave out communion bread to the faithful.

11:00am: After Garegin II’s prayer, the deacon presented the communion bread and wine and the servant celebrating the Mass blessed them.

Pope Francis and Garegin II, accompanied by a cross procession, made their way to the altar in front of which they have to offer a religious service.

10:15am: Pope Francis and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II have started their joint prayer.

19:53am On the third day of Pope Francis’ historic trip to Armenia, the Mother See of St Echmiadzin is going to host a joint prayer by the pontific and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

A meeting with the Armenian Church’s delegations will be held after the ceremony at the Cathedral. The Pope will later will visit the Khor Virap Monastery (a pilgrimage site associated with the name of Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian church, who was imprisoned there for 14 years by King Tiridates III of Armenia ).

In a speech delivered at the ceremony, the Pope welcomed the attendees, especially those who offer their aid to the needy with their generous attitude and tangible love.

Pope Francis approached the faithful and gave out the communion bread to them. 

He said he preferred visiting Gyumri as a spiritual capital of Armenian Catholics.

On Saturday, Pope Francis visited the Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims and laid a wreath at the monument and had a meeting with descendants of the victims. 

During his visit to Armenia, Pope Francis reused the term “genocide”, which was not originally in his speech.