YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian offers this comment in anticipation of His Holiness Pope Francis’ historic June 24-26, 2016, visit to Armenia.

“The Pope’s prayers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial will surely echo around the world.

The presence of Pope Francis at the Armenian Genocide Memorial – over the strident objects of Turkey’s leaders – stands as a powerful moral testament against Ankara’s ongoing obstruction of justice for this crime.

In bearing witness – before all the world – at this most sacred site, Pope Francis is openly challenging Turkey’s efforts to erase from history its massacre and exile of millions of Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and other ancient Christian nations from their biblical era homelands.

President Obama, Speaker Ryan and all our Congressional leaders would do well to follow the courageous moral leadership of Pope Francis in rejecting Ankara’s gag-rule and speaking honestly about Turkey’s near genocidal annihilation of the Christian Armenian nation.

This visit by Pope Francis to the first Christian state both reflects and reinforces the Christian world’s solidarity with the Armenian people,” Hamparian said.

Pope Francis will arrive in Armenia on June 24.

On June 24 Pope Francis will meet President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, followed by meetings with representatives of the leadership, society and diplomatic corps.

In the morning of June 25, Pope Francis will visit the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial.

Accompanied by His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Pope Francis will then depart for Gyumri, where he will deliver a holy mass in the Vardanants square.

Later in the evening, an ecumenical ceremony and peace prayer will be held in Yerevan’s Republic Square.