A delegation of Armenian students and professors from Pázmány Péter Catholic University, led by Dr. Sándor Őze, Head of the Faculty, and Dr. Bálint Kovács, Head of the Department, together with Dr. Karen Jallatyan and Prof. András Bácskay, and Mrs. Sossi Soussani and Father Bedros Marashlian, participated in the canonization of Saint Ignatius Maloyan, held in Vatican City, Rome, from October 19 to October 21.
The delegation took part in the Holy Mass and Canonization of the Blessed Ignatius Maloyan, celebrated by Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Square on October 19. During the solemn ceremony, the Church canonized six new saints Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan ,Peter To Rot,Vincent Maria Polono,Mary of Mount Carmelo Rendiles Martinez,Maria Troncatti and José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros.
The canonization Mass brought together thousands of pilgrims from around the world to witness the joyful proclamation of sainthood and to celebrate the enduring faith and sacrifice of the newly canonized.
On the following day, the Pázmány delegation attended an audience with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican Audience Hall, where His Holiness blessed the participants and delivered a speech reflecting on the lives of the new saints as examples of courage, charity, and faithfulness to the Gospel.
Later that day, the group participated in a Mass celebrated in the Armenian liturgy, presided over by Armenian catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian and Lebanese Maronite Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Raï, honoring the spiritual legacy of Saint Ignatius Maloyan, the Armenian Catholic archbishop and martyr who gave his life in witness to Christianity and Christ during the Armenian Genocide .
On October 21, the delegation visited the Armenian Catholic Church of San Nicola da Tolentino in Rome, where they were warmly received by Father Bedros Marashlian,who serves at the Armenian Catholic Church in Budapest. Father Bedros introduced the group to the rich history of the church and explained the significance of its most important architectural and liturgical elements.
The days spent in the Vatican provided participants with a profound spiritual experience and a deeper appreciation for the universal nature of the Catholic Church, an experience that strengthened the bond between faith, culture, and academic life that Pázmány Péter Catholic University seeks to cultivate.
For more information about Saint Ignatius Maloyan and his canonization, visit the official website: saintignatiusmaloyan.com
