Pope Francis has described the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman Turkish rule in World War One as “genocide”, repeating a phrase that prompted Turkish anger last year.
He made the remarks during a visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, for commemorations of the massacre.
Armenia and many historians say up to 1.5 million Armenian Christians were killed by Ottoman forces in 1915.
Turkey has always disputed that figure and rejects using the term “genocide”.
It says the deaths were part of a civil conflict triggered by WW1.
The row over how to characterise the killings has continued to sour relations between Armenia and Turkey, as well as drawing in other countries such as Germany, whose parliament recently declared the killings to be genocide.
In an address to Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and the diplomatic corps, the Pope appeared to have added the word “genocide” to his prepared text.
“This tragedy, this genocide, has unfortunately marked the start of a sad series of great catastrophes of the last century,” he said.
He added that the killings were “made possible by twisted racial, ideological or religious aims that darkened the minds of the tormentors even to the point of planning the annihilation of entire peoples.”
The remarks were met by a standing ovation.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36624479
