Among the deported families there were nearly thirty thousand children who have been left “ten months without a childhood,” the priest highlighted.
“It is a continuous suffering. “They didn’t want to go far from the border to be as close to their home as possible, but no one talks about their return, perhaps they will never be able to return.”
Pope Francis’ appeal
There have been several occasions on which Pope Francis has expressed his concern about the crisis unleashed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
After the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square October 15, 2023the Pontiff noted: “My concern for the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh does not diminish, as well as for the humanitarian situation of the evacuees, which is serious.”
The Pope made a “particular appeal for the protection of the monasteries and places of worship in the region” so that they are “respected and protected as part of the local culture, an expression of faith and a sign of a fraternity that makes us capable of living together in difference.”
Likewise, during the prayer of Angelus of October 1Pope Francis raised his voice to call “for dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, hoping that the talks between the parties, with the support of the international community, will favor a lasting agreement that puts an end to the humanitarian crisis.”