19/05/2026
Catholicos Aram I Meets Pope Leo XIV In Vatican, Raises Issue of Artsakh Return & Release of Artsakh Leaders Held in Baku
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His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, held a private meeting at the Vatican with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on May 18, 2026, raising the right of Armenians to return to occupied Artsakh, the immediate release of Artsakh leaders detained in Baku, and a broader agenda spanning Christian unity and the situation in Lebanon. The meeting was confirmed in an official statement by the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Aram I opened the conversation by addressing matters internal to the universal Christian Church, calling for the establishment of a common date for Easter across denominations, the designation of a commemorative day for all martyrs, and the convening of a Third Vatican Council. He framed these issues as urgent necessities within the life of the global Christian community.
The Catholicos then turned to occupied Artsakh, stressing three points: the right of Armenians forcibly displaced from their homeland to return under international guarantees, the preservation of Armenian churches and historical monuments in accordance with international law, and the immediate release of the Artsakh leaders currently held in Baku. The detained figures include former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan and Bako Sahakyan, former foreign minister David Babayan, and other senior officials of the Republic of Artsakh, all captured by Azerbaijani forces in the aftermath of the September 2023 ethnic cleansing campaign that emptied Artsakh of its indigenous Armenian population.
On Lebanon, Aram I underscored the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and its authority throughout all Lebanese territory, called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire agreement. The Great House of Cilicia is seated in Antelias, Lebanon, giving Aram I direct standing on Lebanese affairs and a long institutional history of advocacy for the country's stability. He also emphasized the importance of the ecumenical movement, arguing that moral and ethical questions must be given priority alongside theological matters in inter-Christian dialogue.
According to the Catholicosate of Cilicia, Pope Leo XIV expressed his understanding and support on the issues raised, while also offering the necessary clarifications from his own perspective. Following the formal meeting, the two leaders held a further private conversation, exchanging views and concerns on related matters.
The meeting is among the most prominent international platforms on which the cases of Armenian prisoners in Baku and the right of return to occupied Artsakh have been raised in 2026, and it marks an early formal engagement between the new pontificate of Pope Leo XIV and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
