Par Sa Béatitude Sahak II, Patriarche arménien de Turquie

À Sa Sainteté le Pape Léon,

30 novembre 2025, Istanbul, cathédrale arménienne

Your Holiness Pope LeoYour Eminences

Beloved clergy and faithful

Distinguished guests

With profound joy and with deep fraternal love in Christ, we welcome Your Holiness to this sacred cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church. On behalf of myself as the Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkiye, the members of the Religious Council, our clergy and the faithful we are happy to greet you as our brother in the Lord Jesus Christ. You are most welcome.

 Your presence among us today is not only an honor; it is a blessing for our community, for the churches of Türkiye, and for all who labor for the unity of Christians. This moment, Your Holiness, is one that will remain engraved in the hearts of our people.

Your visit comes in a year of extraordinary meaning: the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. Nicaea was more than a meeting of bishops; it was a spiritual turning point in Christian history, reminding us that unity is essential, that truth must be spoken with courage, and that our shared faith in Christ transcends nation, ethnicity, and time. For the Armenian Church, which embraced the Nicene Creed with steadfast devotion, this anniversary is sacred. We therefore receive you today not merely as an honored guest, but as a brother and a fellow guardian of the Nicene faith.

Allow me, Your Holiness, to express our heartfelt respect for the ministry entrusted to you as Bishop of Rome and successor to the Apostle Peter. The Papacy has long served as a moral compass, defending the dignity of every human being, championing peace, and giving voice to those who have none. The Armenian people do not forget the Popes who raised their voice in our times of suffering, who stood with Christian communities in danger, and who upheld truth when the world hesitated. In your person, Your Holiness, we honor both the pastoral fatherhood you offer to Catholics and the universal witness the Papacy offers to the world.

Today, Christians across the Middle East and beyond face hardship, migration, and declining numbers. In such times, unity becomes essential. Here in Türkiye, our Christian communities live as a small flock, yet one increasingly bound together in mutual respect. The Armenian Apostolic Church firmly believes that Christian division wounds the Body of Christ, yet we trust that the Holy Spirit is healing those wounds and drawing the Churches closer, step by step. In recent decades, relations between our Churches have reached a depth we could once scarcely imagine. Through dialogue, shared prayer, and sincere friendship, we have walked this path together. Your visit today is a powerful sign that the Churches approach one another as brothers, not rivals. It tells the world that Christian unity is possible, because it is the will of God.

Your Holiness, the Armenian community of Türkiye is small but resilient. Our churches, schools, and foundations continue their mission with dedication and love. As faithful children of the ancient Armenian Church we are loyal citizens of this country enjoying religious freedom and state support as a well-cared minority. In moments of difficulty and in moments of hope, we have felt the solidarity of our fellow Christians—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant alike. Your presence today is a profound gesture of that solidarity.

Unfortunately, in these days of hot conflict, we are witnesses to the suffering people have had to endure. We are especially mindful of the continuing agony experienced by Christians across the Middle East, who bear a great share of persecution. We pray that the Lord may use the immense moral voice and influence of the Papacy, through Your Holiness, for the safety of these vulnerable Christian communities, especially in the very region to which you will travel later today. May the good Lord make you an angel of peace on those bleeding lands, to herald glad tidings of enduring peace among war-worn peoples.

We are also painfully aware of the ongoing struggle in the West against the erosion of sound moral values, of the sanctity of family life, and of the Christian faith itself. In this God-pleasing and holy fight, we unite our prayers with yours. May God raise your sceptre like a mighty tower to halt the advance of the dark powers of evil, protect you from every ferocious attack, and grant you heavenly patience and comfort wherever your ministry leads you.

We pray as well for peace in our own region, for lands wounded by war, and for all communities whose survival is threatened. Above all, we pray for the unity of all who confess Christ. May the Nicene faith, spoken in one voice so long ago, become once again a bond of unbreakable brotherhood.

Your Holiness, on behalf of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Türkiye and all those gathered here, I offer you our deepest gratitude for this historic visit. With these feelings, we greet you and our spiritual brothers and sisters in your delegation. Here, under this holy temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary, we ask for the intercession of all the saints—especially the Virgin Mary, Theotokos, the Mother of God, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint Gregory the Illuminator. Through their prayers, may the Lord bless the intentions of our hearts.

May the grace, the love, and the divine sanctifying power of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.

Welcome, Your Holiness Pope Leo. May Christ our God bless your ministry and grant peace to the world.