Pope Francis Drops the ‘G-Word’ and Rekindles Century-Old Genocide Debate
Another Sunday sermon, another international uproar. Controversy appears to becoming a habit for Pope Francis. A week after he accused the world of “standing mute” while Christians were slaughtered, the pope again stirred anger by calling the 1915 killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Turks a “genocide,” and not just any genocide but “the first genocide of the twentieth century.”
He spoke during a Sunday mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tragedy. “Bishops and priests, religious, women and men, the elderly and even defenseless children and the infirm were murdered.”
Turkey reacted furiously, recalling its ambassador to the Vatican and accusing the pope of spreading “hatred and animosity” with “unfounded allegations.”
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