Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, accompanied by the congregants of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan to commemorate the holy martyrs of this genocide on its 109th anniversary.

After the laying of a wreath at the monument, a requiem service was performed—with the Catholicos presiding over—for the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

Speaking with reporters afterwards, Karekin II said: "We bring our message to our people from this sacred shrine of our holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

Against existing security threats, let us be united so that we can keep our native country and our national life undisturbed without loss.

We bring our message to the [Armenian] authorities, as the brave general Saint Vardan Mamikonian  should have said: Don’t mix cowardice into courage! Cowardice is destructive, it spreads death. Courage is the power of the spirit to defend justice and truth.

Dear Armenian people, let us live with trust in God, with faith and hope, strong, indomitable, not get weak in the face of difficulties, through the intercession of our holy martyrs, God will pour his blessings of peace, safety, and security on our lives from the heavenly heights.

Let us always keep the prayer to God in our souls and in our hearts. God will always be a helper and a guardian to our people today and forever, amen.

The Catholicos of All Armenians did not answer any other questions, noting that he does not give interviews on special days like this.