A historic ecumenical gathering was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Tuesday, April 14, 2015. The service was hosted by the Most Reverend José H. Gomez, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The evening’s keynote message was delivered by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, who courageously reaffirmed the importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide. “Today, in solidarity with the people of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora, we speak of a Genocide” said Mayor Garcetti. “We heard what Pope Francis said and the courage that he had. But it shouldn’t take courage to speak the truth,” he continued. “In Los Angeles we can speak the truth that a genocide occurred…that 1.5 million souls were erased from this earth…that we have a responsibility to make sure that everybody on this earth recognizes it.
As Mayor of the Great City of Los Angeles, I will always stand with the Armenian people and I will always stand for truth. It is a genocide and in Los Angeles, we accept that and we move forward with the responsibility to make sure that every lie is answered with the truth.”
In his speech, Mayor Garcetti reflected on the impact of the Armenian Genocide on the international level. “A hundred years ago, while slaughter happened in Anatolia, where we lost soul after soul, after soul, it did not go unnoticed. The New York Times ran 145 stories on the race extermination of the Armenians. The coverage was so prolific that it led Herbert Hoover to state probably Armenia was known to the American school child only a little less than England.”
More than 150 religious leaders joined civic officials and over three thousand faithful in honoring the memory of the 1.5 million Armenian martyrs who perished during the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
During the solemn and moving service, which consisted of prayers and hymns of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the faithful enjoyed the participation of leaders of the The Most Rev. José H. Gomez; Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles; His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicosate of All Armenians; His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicosate of The Great House of Cilicia; His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, Armenian Apostolic Church; the Very Rev. Fr. John Bakas representing His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco; His Grace Bishop Serapion; Bishop of the Coptic Diocese of Los Angeles and Southern California; His Eminence Archbishop Eugene Kaplan, Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch Archdiocese of the Western United States; His Grace Bishop Daniel, representing His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin Diocese of the West the Orthodox Church in America; His Grace Bishop Zeidan, The Eparch of the Maronite Catholic Eparch of our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles; The Rt. Rev. Jon Bruno Bishop, Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles; The Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin, Bishop of the Southwest California Synod of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Ecumenical Officer, Council of Bishop United Methodist Church anbd Vice-Moderator, World Council of Churches; Most Rev. Mikael Mouradian, Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of the United States and Canada; Rev. Joe Matossian, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America and Rabbi Morley T. Feinstein, President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.
In his remarks, H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian stated “The orphans and the survivors of the Genocide are our heroes. The eye-witness accounts contain grievous pain and sufferings yet they are full of hope, faith, courage, and liveliness. In their eyes we see the martyrdom and the resurrection of our nation as well.” Addressing the religious leaders, civic officials and the congregation, Archbishop Derderian added “Your presence today is the reflection of your solidarity with the Armenian Church and nation. The authenticity of history and the historical facts cannot be hidden. Together we stand united and strong in our observance of the centennial commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.”
Two days prior to the historic ecumenical service in Los Angeles, His Holiness Pope Francis I affirmed the systematic annihilation of the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire as “genocide.” Referencing a 2001 declaration by Pope John Paul II, at St. Peter’s Basilica he stated “In the past century, our human family has lived through three massive and unprecedented tragedies. The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the 20th century,’ struck your own Armenian people.”
For a century, Armenians throughout the world have demanded that Turkey acknowledge that 1.5 million of their ancestors were actually killed in a systematic genocide.
More than 20 countries have passed parliamentary bills recognizing the massacres as genocide, while nations like Greece and Switzerland have called for criminal charges against those who deny it. Domestically, 43 of the 50 states have recognized the Armenian Genocide either by legislation or proclamation.
The highly anticipated service was covered by major media outlets locally and internationally. The entire service was globally broadcast live via YouTube.
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