VATICAN CITY — Under the great dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Armenian Church prayers and hymns once again resonated on February 27, as the Vatican marked the feast of the remembrance of St. Gregory of Narek according to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar.
The service recalled the historic commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide held at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 12, 2015, presided over by Pope Francis of blessed memory. During that liturgy, Pope Francis declared St. Gregory of Narek, the 10th‑century Armenian monk, theologian and poet, a “Doctor of the Universal Church”. Three years later, on April 5, 2018, together with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, Pope Francis blessed a statue of St. Gregory of Narek in the Vatican Gardens, further sealing his place in the spiritual heritage of the Catholic Church.
This year’s commemoration was organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, and the Representative of the Catholicosate of All Armenians to the Holy See, with the participation of the Levonian Armenian College in Rome and the Mkhitarist Fathers.
A special Vespers service was celebrated in the late afternoon of February 27 in St. Peter’s Basilica. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Representative of the Catholicosate of All Armenians to the Holy See, presided, with Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti at his side. Among those present were Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; Bishop Anthony Ball, representing the Archbishop of Canterbury; Archbishop Levon Zekian; several bishops and priests from the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches; ecumenical leaders; Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic clergy; as well as the Ambassadors of Armenia to the Holy See and to the Italian Republic, together with many Armenian and Italian faithful.
In his sermon, Gugerotti offered a profound reflection on St. Gregory of Narek. “Today we celebrate the feast of Gregory of Narek, the one who lived the Gospel. There are countless reasons why the Catholic Church proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church,” he said. Describing St. Gregory as an “enamored singer of salvation” through his prayers and hymns, the Cardinal underlined the enduring power of his spiritual legacy.
Gugerotti also turned his thoughts to the Armenian people. “Today we pray to St. Gregory of Narek for the Armenian people, who have endured hardships but also celebrated beauty,” he said. “A people today wounded by a web of miserable oppositions that seek to dissolve the paradox and reduce it to propaganda.” His words highlighted both the suffering and the resilience that have marked Armenian history, and the continuing relevance of St. Gregory’s message of hope, faith and interior renewal.
