Patriarch Raphaël Bédros XXI Minassian, the head of the Armenian Catholic Church (CNEWA profile), was the principal celebrant at a Mass of thanksgiving in St. Peter’s Basilica for the canonization of St. Ignatius Maloyan (1869-1915), an archbishop martyred during the Armenian genocide.
“The blood he shed, like that of his Master, is the seed for new believers and a living testimony of a Church that never dies, because it is rooted in Christ,” Patriarch Minassian preached. “His holiness is not simply a recognition by the Church, but a voice calling us to live in truth, a call to a faith that is uncomfortable, yet alive and courageous, capable of persevering even in the darkest moments.”
“A person willing to sacrifice his life for the truth cannot be defeated, because when his heart belongs to Christ, neither war, nor persecution, nor death can take away his freedom: the freedom of love,” the Patriarch added. Moloyan’s canonization is “a call to all Christians, and especially to Armenian Catholic faithful, to understand that holiness is not reserved for a few, but a universal vocation,” and “invites us to live our faith with courage, authenticity, and ardent love for Christ.”