On June 9, Archbishop Barsamian went to Ankara with Patriarch Mashalian to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss celebrating the 850^th anniversary of St. Nerses IV Shnorhali next year in historic Hromgla, Cilicia (today called Rumkale in Turkish), located on a promontory overlooking the Euphrates River. St. Nerses served as catholicos there.

Archbishop Barsamian explained that some months ago he learned that UNESCO will be honoring St. Nerses along with other prominent people worldwide. He reached out to the Vatican after receiving the blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II in order to see whether a celebration of St. Nerses’ 850^th anniversary could be held in the Vatican with the Pope and the Catholicos of All Armenians presiding. They both agreed, so this event will most probably take place in the fall of 2023, with an ecumenical service at St. Peter’s Basilica. Barsamian requested that St. Nerses be accepted in the Roman calendar, and this is being worked on. There also may be a concert in the Sistine Chapel presenting the hymns of St. Nerses Shnorhali, an exhibition in the Vatican Musuem, and a two-day conference held by the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Another conference will take place in Armenia. “All these events, especially at the Vatican,” said Archbishop Barsamian, “will give the possibility of presenting St. Nerses Shnorhali to the world.”

In this context, Archbishop Barsamian said that someone suggested that a pilgrimage be organized to Hromgla, where a celebration could take place and even the divine liturgy might be performed. After consulting with Patriarch Sahag II, who was in agreement with the idea, the two decided to meet with the Turkish foreign minister in Ankara to see whether this would be acceptable also with the Turkish government. Foreign Minister Cavusoglu was very welcoming and supportive of the idea, Barsamian said.

Sources: https://mirrorspectator.com/