Christian Unity: Pope Francis in Armenia

The popeâ??s visit was a welcome sign that the outside world, and especially the West, has not forgotten Armenia. Even more, in Armenia, Francis once again went out of his way to use the word â??genocideâ? to describe the massacre of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during World War I. Before the visit, the Vatican had suggested Francis would avoid the word; his decision to go off-script was clearly a personal one. That he did so is a point of honor for Armenians, who believe, quite legitimately, that Western governments, including the U.S., often avoid the term simply to appease Turkey, which denies that a genocide occurred. Indeed, the last time Francis mentioned the genocide, in April 2015, Turkey withdrew its Vatican ambassador in protest for almost a year. This time, Turkeyâ??s reaction was limited to its deputy foreign ministerâ??s accusing Francis of having a â??Crusader mentalityâ? and a bias against Muslims, charges the Vatican quickly rejected.