WCC remembers 111th anniversary of Armenian Genocide, lifts prayers  for healing

ArmInfo. World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, joined  Armenians around the world, and especially the Armenian Apostolic  Church, in solemn remembrance and prayer.

"We mourn the lives lost, the communities destroyed, and the enduring  pain carried across generations," said Pillay. "This commemoration is  not only an act of memory, but also a call to conscience, reminding  the global community of the urgent responsibility to uphold human  dignity, truth, and justice."

Pillay also recalled with deep concern the forced displacement and  suffering of Armenians from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, which  resulted in the mass exodus of an entire population from their  ancestral homeland. "The World Council of Churches stands in  solidarity with all those affected, lifting prayers for healing,  protection, and the restoration of rights and dignity," said Pillay.  "At the same time, we welcome ongoing efforts toward dialogue and  peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Pillay emphasized that a just and lasting peace must be grounded in  full respect for international law, including the right of displaced  people to return safely and with dignity, the protection of religious  and cultural heritage, and the safeguarding of fundamental human  rights. "We also call for the release of all remaining prisoners held  in Azerbaijan," he said. "Peace must be built on justice, truth, and  accountability to be sustainable." Pillay reaffirmed the WCC's  commitment to walk alongside the Armenian people and its member  church, bearing witness to their suffering and hope. "We pray for  reconciliation, for truth to prevail, and for a future where such  tragedies are never repeated," he concluded.

On April 24, 1915, in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman  Empire, the extermination of Armenian subjects began. It began with  the arrests of Armenian intellectuals-writers and poets, architects,  and parliamentarians-and then escalated into the complete  extermination of Armenians. As a result of these actions by the  Turkish authorities, more than 1.5 million Armenians were deported,  starved, and tortured to death.

The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by the Council of Europe  (1998, 2001), the European Parliament (1987, 2000, 2002, 2005), the  UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of  Minorities[7], the World Council of Churches, the Parliamentary  Coalition of South American Countries (Mercosur), and the Parliament  of Latin America (2015).