YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS. Pope Francis blessed disabled children gathered near Gyumri’s   Yot Verk Church (The Seven Wounds church).

“Armenpress” reports ending the tour in  Yot Verk church the Cardinals accompanying the Pope came up to the disabled children and blessed them. Afterwards, Pope Francis came out of the church and also blessed them.

The children were presented with postcard with Pope Francis portrayed on it. Earlier, the Pope had delivered a liturgy in Vardanants square of Gyumri, after which, inviting Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II into his popemobile, toured around the square, greeted the gathered, and then got off the car and talked to the believers for a few minutes and then headed to the Congregation of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.

Pope Francis arrived in Armenia on June 24 at 15:00 by local time. He delivered a speech on June 24 in the Armenian Presidential Palace during a meeting with President Sargsyan, top officials, foreign diplomats and representatives of the society. During the speech, the Pope deviated from the pre-prepared text and used the term “Genocide”.

On June 25, day 2 of the visit, Pope Francis visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial, accompanied by President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Garegin II.

Pope Francis laid a wreath at the Memorial and prayed. The Pope laid flowers with the President and Catholicos Garegin II at the Eternal Flame, where clergymen performed an intercessional ritual for the canonized martyrs.

After that Pope Francis singed the Honorary Guest Book in the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute by writing: “Here I pray with pain in my heart, so that never more will there be tragedies like this, so that humanity does not forget and knows how to overcome the evil with good. May God grant the beloved Armenian people and the entire world peace and consolation. May God protect the memory of the Armenian people. Memory should not be diluted or forgotten. Memory is source of peace and the future”.