'Armenia is a small country between Turkey and the Caspian
Sea. There are Armenians scattered throughout the Middle
East; they are one of the oldest Christian populations in existence.
Brother Charles was a witness to a sad chapter in their history when
was living as a Trappist in Akbes, Syria. Beginning in 1895,
Ottoman Turks massacred over 1.500,000 Armenians, and that was just a
prelude to the genocide of the early 20th century.
Monastery of Akbes where Brother Charles lived as a Trappist monk
The persecutions reached Akbes in 1896. The silent complicity of
the 'Great Powers' was a source of particular outrage to him. He wrote
in June of that year: 'All around us, there were horrors... massacres,
fires, and looting...' The troops in Marach, the closest town
to us, killed 4,500 Christians in just two days.' The
Europeans have been placed under the protection of the Turkish
government; they have even posted soldiers at our gate to make sure
that no one harms us. It is so painful to be in good standing with
those who cut the throats of our brothers. Shame on
Europe. With one word they could have prevented
these horrors but did not. It is also true that the outside
world knows very little about what goes on here. The Turkish government
has paid off the press, giving enormous sums of money to certain
newspapers so that they only publish the official press
releases.But the governments know what is going on through
their embassies and consulates.'
Armenian monastery
Ashotzk
