YEREVAN - His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, concluded his official visit to Egypt and Ethiopia on Oct. 22, after meeting with the heads of the Coptic and Tewahedo sister churches, and returned to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

On October 23, His Holiness participated in the ceremony of presentation of the book "Trial of the Soul," dedicated to the memory of the late Prime Minister Vazken Sarkissian. His Holiness expressed congratulations, appreciation and blessing to Mr. Gagik Haroutunian, Hirair Hovnanian and the other publishers who had initiated the book's publication.

"Really, heroes are born according to the necessity of times and create their times.

Blessed are those who leave deserving works so that their followers should continue them, and blessed are also those who can appreciate those works, to give worthy [recognition] to the deserving in their memory, soul and heart," said His Holiness, with the assurance that the Armenian people will always remember Vazken Sarkissian "among the devoted and brave Armenians, who served the glory of the Armenian weapon, mind and creative wit."

As His Holiness noted, the book "Trial of the Soul" is a word of gratitude to all those Armenians, thanks to whose courage independence was achieved and the basis of our statehood was laid, and the liberty of Artsakh was defended.