Pope Francis has praised Armenia for being a "herald of Christ among the nations", saying it had kept alive the "light of faith" even in the darkest times.
The Pope's remarks (full text below) were made on the first day of a three-day visit to commemorate the centenary of the Ottoman-era massacre of Armenians.
In a largely Orthodox land where Catholics are a minority, Armenians seemed genuinely honoured to welcome a Pope who has long championed the Armenian cause from his time as an archbishop in Argentina.
