Pope Intends to Visit Slovakia, Accepted Caputova's Invitation

Bratislava, March 8 (TASR) – Pope Francis intends to arrive in Slovakia and the visit to Bratislava could take place alongside the Eucharistic Congress in Budapest set to take place in September, TASR learnt on Monday.

The pope said this at a press conference held on the same day on board the plane on his return from his visit to Iraq.

The report was taken note on Monday by Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, who invited the Pope to Slovakia during her visit to the Vatican in December last year. “I’m very pleased that we’ll be able to welcome the Holy Father in Slovakia, his visit will certainly be a symbol of hope we so desperately need,” said Caputova in a statement provided to TASR by her spokesman Martin Strizinec.

After the meeting in December, the president said that Pope Francis had accepted her invitation, but would see how the situation in the world would allow him to come. The Slovak president brought to Francis four big Advent wreaths produced in a sheltered workshop by people from a disadvantaged environment. Caputova also gave him an image of Our Lady. Apart from that, she brought 10,000 PCR tests for coronavirus.

Pope Francis plans to attend the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress that will take place on Sunday, September 12, at 11 a.m. on Heroes’ Square in the capital of Hungary.