Author: Hovhannisian John

The NKR National Assembly voted 28 to 0 at an extraordinary session today to approve the proposal on amnesty on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of proclamation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

This will be the 6th general pardon to be announced on the occasion of remarkable jubilees.

The decision shall come into force upon the official publication.

“The 25th anniversary of independence is the best summary of the path we have passed. We have faced a number of difficulties and hardships along this way and have reached the current reality at the cost of great sacrifices. The citizen of Artsakh is the main hero of all of this,” Speaker of the National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan said at the end of the session.

The apricot blessing ceremony took place at St. Zoravar church on the opening day. The honorary stars of cinematographer Albert Yavuryan, directors Edmond Keosayan and Dmitry Kesayants were unveiled at Charles Aznavour square among other prolific masters of the Armenian Cinema.

Welcoming speeches were offered by Harutyun Khachatryan, Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film festival General Director, and Ralph Yirikian, General Director of VivaCell- MTS, General Sponsor of GAIFF for ten years.

During the opening ceremony it was announced that the European Film Academy is honoring Yerevan’s Parajanov Museum by awarding it “Treasure of European Film Culture.”

Earlier the Academy had decided to establish a list of Treasures of European Film Culture, much like the UNESCO World Heritage list, summing up places of historical cinematic value that need to be maintained and preserved not just for now but for generations to come.

At the end of the ceremony the opening film by celebrated Armenian filmmaker Hamo Beknazaryan “Zareh” was screened.

Tens of thousands of Icelanders gathered in the capital Reykjavík to welcome home the nation’s football team after their Euro 2016 quarter-final, the BBC reports.

Led by drummers, the players made their way through the city in an open-top bus to the hill of Arnarholl, where fans greeted them with wild cheers.

Iceland’s first major tournament ended on Sunday when the tiny nation, one of Europe’s smallest, lost to France.

But not before they had dumped out the England side in the round of 16.

On their way to the last eight of the European tournament, they had also beat Austria and, in qualifying, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.

US President Barack Obama has said the UK vote to leave the EU raises “longer-term concerns about global growth,” the reports.

He said Brexit would “freeze the possibilities of investment in Great Britain or in Europe as a whole”.

He appealed to the UK prime minister and other EU leaders to ensure an orderly process for the British exit.

Mr Obama was speaking at a summit in Ottawa with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, aimed at strengthening economic ties between North American countries.

He said the preparations by central banks and finance ministers indicated that “global economy in the short run will hold steady”.

But he added: “I think there are some genuine longer-term concerns about global growth if in fact Brexit goes through and that freezes the possibilities of investment in Great Britain or in Europe as a whole.

“At a time when global growth rates were weak already, this doesn’t help,” the president said.a

THE MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II, CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS DURING THE MASS CELEBRATED BY
HIS HOLINESS, FRANCIS, THE POPE OF ROME
IN VARDANANTS SQUARE, GYUMRI

(Gyumri, June 25, 2016)

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

John 13:34

Your Holiness,

Beloved spiritual brothers and faithful children,

Today, as our Church is commemorating the Feast of the Holy Apostles of the Lord, this message directed by our Lord to His disciples, is so ever sweetly and powerfully resounding in our souls. With this God-given warm feeling of love in the name of all the faithful of the region we welcome you to the city of Gyumri, beloved brother in Christ. It brings us great joy to be joining you in prayer, a great friend of the Armenian Church and the Armenian people, in a Mass celebrated by you.

Gyumri is one of those historical towns of Armenia where centuries-old Armenian Christian values have flourished, where the history and culture of our people and the spirit of generosity have harmoniously been shaped. The people of Gyumri are distinguished for their particularly profound faith and love towards the Church. They are also bearers of a beautiful tradition of Christian brotherly coexistence, which is witnessed by the prayerful presence of the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches, as well as of other Christian denominations. During the Soviet years of atheism churches were being destroyed or shut in Armenia, and only through the zealous resistance of our people, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and a few other churches were still open. During that time, Gyumri’s church of the Holy Mother of God (Yotverk) opened its maternal bosom and became a haven and a place of prayer for all the Christians of the Northern districts of Armenia and of the ethnically Armenian towns and villages of Georgia, regardless of their national identity or what denomination they belonged to, may they be Armenian Apostolic, Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. The Northern apse of Yotverk church was turned into a place of prayer for the Catholic faithful where the crucifixion statue in the Catholic tradition, brought from the Catholic Church of Arevik village, was erected and is maintained to this day. While the Southern apse was provided to the Russian Orthodox where in a most honorable place, the Russian icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed. Thus, Gyumri and the church of the Holy Mother of God (Yotverk) became a tangible provider and preacher for ecumenism, years before the modern definition of ecumenism was established.

Beloved brother in Christ, the city which we are visiting today, on its warm and hospitable heart, also carries the seal of anguish. At the dawn of the twentieth century, when our people were subjected to genocide, Gyumri as well felt the heavy blows of the Ottoman Empire’s devastating and invasive politics. Today as well Gyumri faces closed borders as a witness to the genocide committed one hundred years ago and to the continuous denialist policies.

The pious people in Gyumri stood against the disaster of the earthquake through faith and brave heart. On this occasion we extend our words of appreciation to the Catholic Church, who also in those difficult days gave a helping hand of brotherly love to the victims of the earthquake, according to the words of the apostle, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:23-24). Today as well our Children in Gyumri continue to overcome the difficulties and make dedicated efforts to transform Gyumri into a prosperous and thriving city. The testimonies to this are the Catholic Church, built in the recent years, and the two restored historic churches, gracefully overlooking this square as symbols of the revival of Gyumri.

Giving thanks to the Lord for this blessed day of unity of prayer in Gyumri, together with our beloved brother Pope Francis, we bring to you, dear faithful, our plea and wish so that through the firm steps of faith, brotherly love, and hope, you may witness in this world to the following commandment of Christ, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)

With this wish we also greet and extend our appreciation and blessings to government officials of Gyumri and the region, and to our faithful people of Shirak. We bring our appreciation and blessings to the Primate of the Diocese of Shirak, His Grace Bishop Michael Ajapahyan, and his co-serving clergy, as well as to the clergy of the Catholic community under the leadership of His Eminence, Archbishop Rafael Minassian. We wish them, with the support of the Lord, to successfully continue the pastoral care of their flock and the partnership in brotherly love.

We extend our prayer to Almighty God with the intercession of the Holy Apostles and all the witnesses of the Lord, for peace in the world, a prosperous and secure life for humanity and for the vibrancy of the holy Church of Christ.

Your Holiness, our dear brother in Christ, your visit to Gyumri is a spiritual renewal for the faithful of the region of Shirak, and it shall always be remembered with warmth and love.

Again with a joyous heart we reaffirm that your visit is a new testimony to the fraternal relationship between our churches.

May God keep steadfast the brotherhood and make fruitful the cooperation between our churches. Forever and ever. Amen.

The reception ceremony for His Holiness Pope Francis has started at the Presidential Palace where he will meet with the Armenian authorities, representatives of the Armenian public, and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Yerevan. Prior to that, President Serzh Sargsyan and His Holiness Pope Francis had a private meeting at the Golden Hall of the Presidential Palace.

The President expressed gratitude to His Holiness for accepting the invitation to visit Armenia – the First Christian Nation, for bringing blessings and grace to our ancient land and long-suffering people.

At the meeting, in accordance with the protocol there took place the ceremony of gift exchange. President Serzh Sargsyan presented to His Holiness Pope Francis a bronze statuette of the genius of the medieval Armenian thought, a Doctor of the Universal Church Saint Gregory of Narek. During the Pope’s visit, at the Presidential Palace there took place the ceremony of cancelling of a stamp and four postage stamps designed into a mini sheet in a form of a cross, dedicated to the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Armenia. The President of Armenia presented them to His Holiness Pope Francis. The souvenir sheet with one stamp depicts Pope Francis against the backgrounds of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, as well as the logo dedicated to the visit of Pope Francis to Armenia and the coat of arms of Pope Francis. The format of four stamps designed into a form of a cross has a symbolic meaning for the visit of Pope Francis to the first Christian Nation. The four stamps depict Pope Francis against the backgrounds of the statue of Saint Gregory the Illuminator donated to the Vatican by Armenia, a monument dedicated to the theme “Armenia – the first Christian nation” in Yerevan, inner parts of the Main Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Saint Peter`s Basilica in the Vatican. The souvenir sheet bears the inscription “Pope Francis. Armenia. 24-26 June, 2016”, as well as “Visit to the first Christian Nation” which is the official motto of this visit.

On the occasion of the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis’s visit to the Republic of Armenia, the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia has issue a commemorative medal. Pope Francis has also received it as a gift from the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. On one side of the medal there is Khor Virap monastery against the background of Mount Ararat and the dates of the Pope’s visit, and the reverse side of the medal depicts the statue of Saint Gregory the Illuminator at the outer niche of Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and the coat of arms of the Catholic Church.

His Holiness Pope Francis presented to the President of Armenia the original of the commemorative medal which was made on a special occasion of his visit to the Republic of Armenia.

Italy are through to the last 16 of the European Championship finals after Eder struck late on to beat Sweden, the BBC reports.

The game looked to be heading towards a dull goalless draw before Eder raced onto Zaza’s knockdown to drive home from the edge of the box.

Sweden failed to produce a shot on goal for the second successive game, with captain and star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic kept quiet throughout.

Italy are top of Group E with six points while Sweden are third on one.

Austria, who were undefeated in 10 qualifying games, were beaten 2-0 by old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Euro 2016 Group F on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The Hungarians, who only reached the finals through the playoffs, took the lead with a rare goal by forward Adam Szalai in the 63rd minute.

It his first at international level since October 2014.

Austria thought they had equalised soon after but Martin Hinteregger’s effort was disallowed for a foul by Aleksandar Dragovic who was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Substitute Zoltan Stieber secured victory three minutes from the end.

US singer Prince died from an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl, medical examiners have found, the BBC reports.

The report, from Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Minnesota, comes more than a month after the singer was found slumped in a lift at his home.

Detectives have already questioned a doctor who saw the 57-year-old twice in the weeks before he died.

Prescription painkillers were in the singer’s possession following his death, officials told US media in May.

A police warrant has also revealed that Dr Michael Schulenberg prescribed medication to the singer on 20 April – the day before he died.

President Serzh Sargsyan today sent letters of gratitude to German President Joachim Gauck, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bundestag President Norbert Lammert on the occasion of adoption of an Armenian Genocide bill by the German Bundestag.

President Sargsyan expressed gratitude to them and all German political and civil forces, which said their decisive word on the issue. The President voiced hope that the resolution would have its unique place in the recognition and prevention of genocides.

“The adoption of the bill recognizing the Armenian Genocide was really a historic step not only for Armenia and the Armenian people, Germany and the German people, but also the whole civilized mankind.  It symbolizes the superiority of democratic universal values and emphasizes Germany’s consistent role in the preservation of those values. It’s a message to the world that the crimes against humanity are not only remembered 100 years later, but are also condemned with accurate characterization,” President Sargsyan said.