The Armenian Catholicos Aram I has published the content of the private meeting he held this Monday with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, revealing that during the encounter he raised issues of enormous significance for the future of Christianity, including the convocation of a “Third Vatican Council”.
The information was officially released by the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia following the audience held on May 18. According to the statement, Aram I presented the Pope with three issues he considers “urgent” for the life of the universal Church: the establishment of a common date for Easter, the creation of a commemoration day for all Christian martyrs, and the celebration of a new universal council.
The reference to a “Third Vatican”
The most striking aspect of the statement released by the Armenian Catholicos is the explicit reference to the convocation of a “Third Vatican Council”, an expression used by the Armenian Church itself in the official note following the meeting.
Although the statement does not elaborate on how such a potential council should be structured or what specific issues it would need to address, the mere mention of a new ecumenical council inevitably reopens the debate on the current state of the Church and the doctrinal, liturgical, and pastoral tensions that have arisen since Vatican II.
To date, the Holy See has not published any specific clarification on this proposal put forward by Aram I.
Common Easter and memory of the Christian martyrs
In addition to the conciliar issue, the Armenian leader insisted on the need to move toward a common date for the celebration of Easter between Catholics and Orthodox, a long-standing aspiration of the ecumenical movement.
He also proposed establishing a commemoration day for all Christian martyrs, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the common awareness of the persecutions suffered by Christians in different parts of the world.
According to the Armenian statement, Leo XIV expressed “understanding and support” regarding the issues raised during the conversation.
Artsakh and the situation in Lebanon
The Armenian Catholicos also took advantage of the meeting to address political and humanitarian issues related to the Middle East and the Caucasus.
In particular, he defended the right of Armenians from Artsakh to return to their lands under international guarantees and called for the protection of Armenian churches and historical monuments in accordance with international law. He also requested the immediate release of the Armenian leaders currently detained in Baku.
Regarding Lebanon, Aram I insisted on the need to preserve the sovereignty of the Lebanese state, called for an Israeli withdrawal from the south of the country, and advocated maintaining the ceasefire.
Additional private conversation
The statement adds that, after the official meeting, Leo XIV and Aram I held an additional private conversation in which they exchanged views and concerns on these and other related issues.
The publication of the full content of the conversation by the Armenian Catholicos has drawn particular attention for including references to a new universal council, a question that inevitably arouses interest at a time of strong internal debates within the Catholic Church.