Pope Francis urges world to recognise genocide

Pope Francis yesterday honoured the 100th anniversary of the slaughter of Armenians by calling it “the first genocide of the 20th century” and urging the international community to recognise it as such, a politically explosive declaration that angered Turkey.

Francis, who has close ties to the Armenian community from his days in Argentina, defended his pronouncement, saying it was his duty to honour the memory of the innocent men, women, children, priests, and bishops who were “senselessly” murdered by Ottoman Turks.

“Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it,” he said at the start of a Mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St Peter’s Basilica honouring the centenary.