Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Pope Francis joined Instagram on Saturday.  

Within an hour of signing up to the photo-sharing app he had gained 10,000 followers. The number has already exceeded 1.2 million.

Not bad for someone who has only posted two photos so far but there are an estimated 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world.

He is using the name @Franciscus, Latin for Francis.

Pray for me Rezad por mí Pregate per me صلوا من أجلي Priez pour moi Módlcie się za mnie Rezem por mim Betet für mich Orate pro me

Photo published by Pope Francis (@franciscus)Mar 19 2016 at 4:24 am PDT

The first photo wasn’t a selfie, it was a picture showing Pope Francis kneeling with his head bowed in prayer.

The accompanying caption reads “Pray for me” and is repeated in eight other languages.

The account won’t be maintained by Pope Francis himself – other people within the Vatican will be responsible for the content.

The Pope is no stranger to social media, he already has a Twitter account using the handle @Pontifex.

He used that to announce his presence on Instagram.

A bishop from the Syrian province of Aleppo says the majority of the Arab country’s Christian community supports President Bashar al-Assad in any future election, reports. 

The Chaldean Catholic bishop, Antoine Audo, said on Wednesday that about 80 percent of Syria’s Christian population would support Assad if he stood for reelection.

Speaking to reporters in Switzerland’s city of Geneva, Audo criticized “propaganda” against the Syrian leader, insisting that there was no persecution of Christians by the government.

He further said that ongoing deadly conflict in the country aimed to “destabilize the Syrian society and transform the war into a confessional war.”

The bishop added that other minorities and communities in the country also supported Assad in his fight against “the extremists.”

Audo stated that different terrorist groups including the Daesh militants fighting the government in Damascus posed a serious threat to Syrian Christians, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the country.

According to Audo, the country’s 1.5 million Christian population before the start of the foreign-backed militancy in 2011 now stands at about 500,000, “due to insecurity.”

He said only around 40,000 of Aleppo’s once 160,000 Christian population remained in the province, adding that the community faced great dangers day to day.

The Christian figure also noted that Damascus has served as a model for peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims and that the current situation has been “imported.”

The replica of an Old Jugha cross-stone was unveiled in the open-air museum of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. The solemn opening ceremony was attended by the Presidents of Armenia and Cyprus Serzh Sargsyan and Nicos Anastasiades. The cross-stone was a gift from President Serzh Sargsyan on behalf of the Armenian people.

Nicos Anastasiades thanked his Armenian counterpart and noted that the monument is a symbol of indissoluble connection between the Armenian and Cypriot peoples and the two friendly states.

“Our peoples that fell victim to the same criminals have been fighting and keep fighting on the international arena to preserve their rights and values. Cyprus was one of the first countries to recognize the Armenian Genocide and condemn that crime. Our countries and peoples are committed to the norms of international law, including the right of peoples to self-determination,” President Anastasiades said. He added that the two countries are committed to the peaceful resolution of all issues and determine their future, respecting human rights.

“The sons of the Armenian nation that fled the genocide a century ago and settled in Cyprus, comprise an active and a very important part of the Cypriot society, at the same time preserving their language, identity, traditions and respecting their roots, their Motherland and the country that hosted them. We are proud to see them as part of our society,” the President said.

“Cyprus and Armenia continue to develop bilateral cooperation, combining efforts to come out victor in their struggle for justice. The opening of this monument today is yet another testament to the deep and friendly relations that exist between the two peoples,” Nicos Anastasiades said.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said the cross-stone will henceforth introduce Armenia and the Armenian people to the foreigners and will stand as an eloquent witness of the Armenian-Cypriot friendship. It will also signal that any expression of violence against culture is a crime against humanity and will send a message of unity to all humanity to fight against the brute force threatening the unique pillars of culture and history.

“This masterpiece of art that has become the symbol of the Armenian spiritual values and the Christian spirit is part of the UNESCO’s intangible heritage,” President Sargsyan said.

“Any cross-stone created in the course of history speaks without words, tells about the glorious pages and failures of our history,” the Armenian President added.

He informed that the cross-stone unveiled in Cyprus is the replica of one of the 3,000 cross stones destroys by Azerbaijanis in Old Jugha.

German luxury carmaker BMW will throw a lavish 100th birthday party today, looking back at its often troubled history and forward as it seeks to adapt to the age of “personal mobility,” AFP reports.

In its home city of Munich, the iconic headquarters, a complex dubbed the “BMW four-cylinder”, towers as a source of pride while its vast plant, offices and museum are the southern city’s main private employer, with a total of 41,000 staff.

Since its World War I beginnings, the company has grown into a multinational giant with plants in 14 countries, more than 116,000 employees and 80 billion euros (S$121 billion) in annual sales.

BMW today makes cars and motorcycles and its brands also include Rolls-Royce and Mini.

On February 12, the 52nd Munich Security Conference started, attended by heads of almost two dozen countries and governments, Foreign Ministers of about forty states, heads of a number of international organizations.

The delegation headed by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, participates in the Conference.

Within the framework of the Conference Edward Nalbandian is scheduled to hold meetings with Foreign Ministers of a number of countries, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

– Hrant Dink will be commemorated in Turkey and abroad on the 9th anniversary of his death.

Istanbul

–  On January 19, starting from 14.30, Hrant Dink will be commemorated in front of the former building of Agos, where he was murdered.

–   AKA-DER, DISK BASINIS, Halkevleri, HDP İstanbul, Kaldıraç, Nor Zartonk, Yeniyol and ODP will march to Agos from Taksim on January 19, at 13.30. There will be a “justice watch” between 19.00 and 21.00 on the sidewalk where he was murdered.

Ankara

–   On January 18 at 18.30, DSIP will hold a meeting titled “From Hrant Dink to Tahir Elçi”.

–   On January 19 at 15.00, there will be a ceremony in front of Human Rights Statue in Yüksel Street. At 18.00, democratic mass organizations will make a statement to the press.

Bursa

– On January 19 at 19.00, people will march to Heykel from Setbaşı Mahfel.

Armenia

On January 19, Hrant Dink will be commemorated with a march in Armenian capital Yerevan.

There is also a petition campaign in Armenia in memory of Hrant Dink. During the commemoration ceremony, people will sign a petition for naming a street in Yerevan after Hrant Dink.

The commemoration notice reads: “Our society shouldn’t forget the crime committed against Hrant. In order to embalm Hrant, naming a street in Yerevan after him is really important for us. We are all Hrant and this is our duty of loyalty to him.”

Armenians are invited to attend the petition campaign at 17.00 and the march following it.

Germany

–    On January 19 at 18.00, there will be marching in Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg in memory of Hrant Dink.

–    There will be a concert in memory of Hrant Dink in Studio R in Berlin. Muammer Ketencoğlu, Stepan Gantralyan, Mareike Beykirch, Mehmet Yılmaz and Deniz Utlu will perform Armenian songs. The concert will start at 20.30.

Sweden

–    Hrant Dink will also be commemorated in Swedish capital Stockholm. In ABF House, there will be a memorial ceremony at 18.00.

Canada

– On January 24, ‘Voices in Dialogue” will commemorate Hrant Dink and Tahir Elçi in Ottawa. It will be start at 14.00.

France

– On February 6, L’ACORT, CRC, AEC-HCA and RSF will hold a joint event in memory of Hrant Dink. The meeting that is titled as “Being a journalist in Turkey: the value of truth” will be held in the City Hall of 10th arrondissement. The meeting will start at 19.00 and Rakel Dink, Can Dündar’s wife Dilek Dündar and Uğur Mumcu’s son Özgür Mumcu will attend this meeting.

If people of different nations know each other, there would be no misunderstanding and gradually they will love each other, says the archbishop of Armenian community and the primate of the diocese of Tehran.

“The new year is, willingly or unwillingly, a new chapter for all people of the world. So, I greet 2016,” Sebouh Sarkissian said, wishing a year full of peace and friendship all over the world.

“We should know each other. That means you have to acknowledge and know your neighbor. Knowledge generates love. That is the key for a better life,” Sarkissian told the .

He said he believed that differences between nations should be narrowed, so that they can develop mutual respect and understanding. This leads to the birth of love in heart and minds of people, Sarkissian noted.

“The problem is that countries do not have trust in each other. So they try to protect themselves and attack others. This issue causes problems and difficulty and enmity.”

“People go away from world of God. No religion in the world encourages killing, war and harming human being. We are all creatures of God. Killing somebody is killing God. Unfortunately, people are not conscious about this fact,” he lamented.

He added human beings are “essentially and existentially religious creatures but nowadays people in different parts of the world suffer from inhumanity caused by politics and worldly interest.”

He called “trust and mutual understanding” the most important things within societies.

“Historically speaking, until the 4th AD, all Christians celebrated the birth of Christ on January 6. After Rome accepted Christianity as the state religion, some Christians began to celebrate December 25 as the birth of Sun-God. However, Armenian churches kept the old tradition and celebrated January 6 as the revelation of God,” he stated.

“In Tehran, Christians gather on the eve of January to celebrate Mass, however, we don’t have such religious rituals and rites related to the New Year,” he explained.

“Before the Armenian genocide [in 1915], we had some traditions to celebrate the New Year in our country. At that time, people lived in their own lands, cities, and villages and they celebrated traditions that came down to them,” he said.

Sarkissian said today Armenians have some traditions and rituals, which depend on the place they live in to celebrate the New Year. For example, he added, in some villages people go to rivers and at 00:00 of January 1 enter the water to clean themselves symbolically for the New Year.

“Actually, such traditions have nothing to do with religion. Most of them are national traditions,” he explained.

He went on to say that in Iran and some Arab countries like Syria and Lebanon, Christians celebrate their New Year freely.

“Our Muslim brothers accompany us during the celebration. However it is not the case in all countries. For example, in Saudi Arabia there is no such thing.

“When I served in Kuwait, I was responsible for the Persian Gulf area, including Saudi Arabia, but I never went there because they don’t allow any religious person enter any Christian region. So, you can imagine how life would be for Christians in that country. They don’t have churches, they don’t have any clergymen. They have to move around and go somewhere else to have their religious rituals,” he lamented.

“I served in Iraq in the beginning of 1970s for four years. I have been in Syria for three and a half years. I was in Lebanon and Kuwait and I have been here since 1999.

“Shia Muslims have always been open-minded toward others and toward Christianity and Iran, especially, has always been the land of coexistence for people of different religions,” Sarkissian boasted.

All Armenians around the world consider Iran as a part of their identity because of the same root, being long time neighbors, and sharing common culture, he pointed out.

“Depending on broad-mindedness and narrow-mindedness of rulers in Iran, the Iranian-Armenian relationship has changed during history, but most of the time they were in peace with each other.

“Our relationship is not new. The good relationship between Persians and Armenians dates back to before the birth of Christ and some of our countrymen moved to Iran during the Safavid era,” he explained.

“Nowadays, Armenians have over 3,000 churches in Iran, including Qareh Kelisa and St. Stephanus, which are part of Iran’s cultural heritage and are supported by the government,” the archbishop noted.

Inter-religious trust and respect

Iranian Muslims and Armenians have a good understanding of each other’s beliefs and rituals. On the last days of December, shops in Armenian neighborhoods in Tehran are decorated with Christmas tree and ornaments.

“Armenians respect their Muslim neighbors during mourning season of Muharram for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions by good willing gestures.

“I am respecting you because you are keeping firmly to religious tradition. I understand Islam because I studied about Islam and my master thesis is about event of Karbala and martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS),” he remarked.

He was right. We were old good neighbors who were with each other during hard days of Iran’s history. When I was leaving the church, I was imbued with good feelings of respect and friendship and I think that is all it should be!

By Tany Beja

Canada’s Defence Minister, Harjit Sajjan, attended a special Christmas ceremony at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church today to thank the community for its role in sponsoring .

The Richmond-base parish is hosting nearly 31 families, many with ties to church members. The effort makes the orthodox Christian Church one of BC’s largest private sponsors.

“It’s easy to expedite files, but it’s very hard to put the resources and community together to sponsor families like this. So this is my way of saying thank you,” Sajjan told reporters outside the church.

According to organizers, finding housing for the refugees has been the biggest challenge.

“We spent three days on Craigslist, trying to find rental apartments for $1,400 or $1,500, but it’s very difficult. People, when they know it’s a family, a mother, a father, maybe three kids and a mother in law, they just don’t want to rent, and unfortunately as private sponsors, we don’t get any help from the provincial government,” says Vic Andonian of the Armenian National Committee of Canada.

The church is not only looking for housing, but also donations of furniture and household goods. Donations can be made via or

Viken Majazian and Alin Azakelian and their two children are among the refugees being sponsored by St. Gregory Church. Majazian was a dental surgeon in Syria; Azakelian an engineer. But living in Aleppo, the family used to hear rockets above their apartment every night, and the violence eventually forced them to flee.

“I felt really hopeless,” Azakelian says. “My girl was saying she wanted to go to the park and sit on the swing. The kids just wanted to walk down the street. But I said you can’t go outside, so many dangers, maybe we will get hurt. There were so many difficult moments in our life, we felt hopeless.”

Now living in B.C., the family are about to move into their own rental apartment.

“I just want to thank everyone here, everyone, I am so happy,” Azakelian says.

Pep Guardiola is to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season and will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti, the BBC reports.

Guardiola, 44, has been linked with Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The former Barcelona coach has won two league titles and the German Cup since joining Bayern in summer 2013.

Ex-Chelsea boss Ancelotti, 56, has been on a break since being sacked by Real Madrid in May 2015 and has signed a three-year deal with Bayern.

The German champions are eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and will play Italian club Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League.

“We are grateful to Pep Guardiola for everything he has given our club since 2013,” said Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“I am convinced that Pep and our team will now work even more intensively towards achieving our major sporting goals – especially as it is now confirmed that Pep is to leave FC Bayern.”

Ancelotti has won the Champions League three times, twice with AC Milan and once at Real Madrid, and guided Chelsea to the Premier League title and FA Cup in 2010.

He recently suggested a preference to return to the English top flight but has instead decided to join Bayern.

“I am very honoured,” said Ancelotti.” I’ll be in next season to coach the great FC Bayern.”

Rummenigge added: “Carlo is a calm, balanced expert, who knows how to deal with stars and favours a multifaceted style of play – we were looking for this, and we have found it.

“We are looking forward to working with him.”

If Ancelotti wins the Bundesliga with Bayern next season, he will become the second coach to have won league titles in four of Europe’s top six leagues.

Jose Mourinho has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.