Armenian Church

The Armenian Church on Thursday conferred sainthood on some 1.5 million Armenians massacred by Ottoman forces a century ago, in what is believed to be the biggest canonisation service in history.

The ceremony outside Armenia's main cathedral, Echmiadzin, close to the capital Yerevan, ended at 7:15 pm local time, or 1915 according to the 24-hour clock (1515 GMT), to symbolise the year when the massacres started during World War I.