Pope Francis called for European unity after the coronavirus epidemic and the restart of the economy in his speech in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava on Monday before Slovakian political leaders, diplomatic bodies and representatives of civil society. The head of the Catholic Church declared that he came as a pilgrim to a "young but ancient country with deep roots in the heart of Europe".
This region of Europe, on the border of the former Roman Empire , has always been an "intermediate region", it was considered the meeting point of Western and Eastern Christianity even during the Kingdom of Hungary , and "twenty-eight years ago the world admired,
how two independent states were born without conflicts," said the head of the church, referring to the formation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
"His history calls Slovakia to be a messenger of peace in the heart of Europe," the Pope emphasized. He believed that the brotherhood could help with the increasingly urgent integration of Europe, the economic restart after the very difficult months of the pandemic, which is supported by the recovery program of the European Union. However, the Pope noted that getting back on one's feet should not be done in haste and the desire for profit, guided by the euphoria of the moment.
Referring to the bread given to him during his reception in Slovakia, Pope Francis emphasized that just as there is no food without bread, there is no human dignity without work. He called for a just and fraternal society in which no one feels excluded and is not forced to leave his family and homeland. He also talked about the need to eradicate corruption. The Pope believed that the "individualist ideology" of a few decades ago, which stifled freedom, is today threatened by ideological colonization, which has only individual benefit in mind.
He cited the European patron saints, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, who followed the path of Christianity instead of the cultural struggle.
"They represented everyone and sought community with everyone: Slavs, Greeks, Latins. The firmness of their faith led to a spontaneous opening," declared Pope Francis.
According to him, the coronavirus epidemic is a test of strength of our time, it divides and encourages people to think only of themselves. "Let's start again from the realization that we are all fragile and need the others...no one can be isolated, neither individually nor as a nation," the Pope said.
Before delivering his speech, the Pope met with the Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová in the presidential palace. In her welcoming speech, Čaputová emphasized the importance of cooperation and mutual understanding. “There should not be winners and losers at the end of any social debate or political contest, instead there should be mutual understanding. The world is facing crises, and the only way to solve them is cooperation," said Čaputová.
Today, the Holy Father will hold a liturgy in Eperjes, eastern Slovakia, and then visit Kassa, where he will meet young people in the Lokomotive stadium, and visit Luník IX, which is mostly inhabited by Roma. also for housing estates. On Wednesday, during his visit to Slovakia, the Pope will visit Sasvár, a national pilgrimage site for Slovaks, where he will hold an open-air mass. The latter event is the event of greatest interest to visitors of the papal visit, according to official reports, about fifty thousand people registered for it.
Pope Francis arrived in Bratislava from Budapest on Sunday afternoon. The head of the Catholic Church is visiting Slovakia for the fourth time in person, where he last visited in 2003. John Paul.
Source, full article, photo: MTI/ felvidek.ma
