Yerevan /Mediamax/. Director of National Archives of Armenia Amatuni Virabyan stated today that during the visit of Pope Francis to Armenia, the Armenian party will raise the issue of studying documents on Armenian nation and the Armenian Genocide, kept in Vatican Secret Archives.

“Vatican Secret Archives are considered one of the largest in the world, they contain a great number of documents on countries and nations that Vatican contacted with. Armenian people had contacts with Vatican since 3rd, 4th centuries, and these Archives keep plenty of documents on our history, which have not been revealed or published,” Director of National Archives of Armenia told the journalists.

According to Amatuni Virabyan, these documents cover relations between Armenian people and Vatican, Armenian history and culture, and the Armenian Genocide.

“In the end of 19th century, representative of the Pope in the Ottoman Empire reported on Empire’s Christians to Vatican, particularly on the condition of Armenians and the persecution they suffered,” said Amatuni Virabyan.

He noted that National Archives of Armenia possess copies of all the documents that Vatican revealed to researches. They are mainly in French and Latin, and Armenian experts are studying them at present.

As of now, the secret documents of Vatican Archives can be revealed to researches only by the permission of the Pope.

While answering the question from Mediamax, Director of National Archives of Armenia expressed an opinion that the high level of relations between Armenian and Catholic Churches allow the Armenian party to request permission of Pope Francis to study these secret documents.

“I keep in touch with Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and we discussed this issue yesterday. Most likely, we will try to bring it up during the visit of Pope Francis. I believe that this problem can have a solution after the special Holy Mass on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, held last April at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican,” said Amatuni Virabyan.