Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church visited the historic Khor Virap Monastery, on his last stop in his trip to Armenia.

On June 26, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, accompanied by their delegations visited Khor Virap, where they were welcomed by His Grace Bishop Artak Tigranyan, Dean of the Monasteries of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Bishops of the Armenian Church and clergy.

Led by procession, the Patriarchs were directed to the courtyard of the Khor Virap monastery. The two spiritual leaders entered the St. Gregory the Illuminator Chapel, where the Catholicos of All Armenians and Pope Francis lit their candles with the life-giving light taken from the prison pit.

In the Holy Mother of God Church, the lantern which was gifted to the Khor Virap Monastery by the Pope on the occasion of his visit, was lit from the same light.

The two Pontiffs then offered a prayer for peace in both Armenian and English.

During the prayer, the choirs of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary and Vazgenyan Seminary performed “Lerink Amenayn”, soul-stirring hymns dedicated to St. Gregory, the second Illuminator of the Armenian Church.

The Service was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.

Following the brief service, the Patriarchs moved to an outdoor platform overlooking the biblical Mount Ararat, where as a sign of peace, two doves were released towards the closed Armenian-Turkish border.

After the visit to the monastery, a farewell ceremony was held at the Zvartnots Airport, after which Francis Pope concluded his first visit to the first Christian country and returned to the Vatican.