Bettencourt, who until now has been in charge of Armenia from the Nunciature in Georgia, stated that, “By celebrating 30 years of official bilateral diplomatic relations, the Holy See seeks to build a prosperous relationship for the benefit of all Armenians.”
The diplomatic headquarters will function in the North Avenue on an interim basis “in view of a broader provision in order to have enough space to adequately support the multiple commitments of the mission of the Holy See and the Catholic Church in the Republic of Armenia,” Bettencourt added.
Appointed apostolic nuncio to Georgia and Armenia in 2018 by Francis, Bettencourt asserted that “even before diplomatic relations were established in 1992, the world events of the 20th century brought the Holy See and Armenia closer together.”
In 2015, Francis gave strong support to the Caucasian country by speaking of “Armenian genocide” during a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, which earned him the withdrawal of the Turkish ambassador for more than a year.
“Modern official diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Armenia began on May 23, 1992, when the Republic of Armenia gained its independence”, Bettencourt framed.
In June 2016, the Pope visited Armenia accompanied by Telam aboard the papal plane as the first step on a tour of the Caucasus that, months later, also took him to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
“Since establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of Armenia, the Holy See has continuously recruited diplomatic agents to support them, along with other initiatives and channels of various Catholic institutions”, expressed the apostolic nuncio.
“Over the years, the apostolic nuncios have always been able to count on the generosity and support offered by the Armenian-Catholic Archbishops who succeeded one another in the Ordinariate,” Bettencourt stressed.
The opening of the new Nunciature is a further step in the multilateralism of the Holy See, which maintains diplomatic relations with 185 states and international organizations, including the Republic of Armenia.
For the 59-year-old Portuguese nuncio, “the Holy See has always been a privileged point of listening and monitoring of the world situation for accredited embassies”, while Vatican diplomacy “gives voice to those who have no voice and gives weight to moral values in the international agendas of nations “.
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
