Pope Francis’ first European trip during the COVID-19 era ended with a bang, as he said Mass for some 60,000 people in the national basilica of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, patroness of the country, an hour’s drive north of Bratislava, Slovakia.
Pope in Slovakia
Pope Says Pro-Abortion Politicians Are ‘Outside Community’ of Church, But Urges Pastoral Response
Pope Francis on Wednesday said that Communion is for those who are “in the community” and politicians who support abortion are “outside of the community.”
Pope Francis Urges Slovakia to Protect Life From ‘Culture of Death’
Pope Francis’s first European tour in the COVID-19 era ended with a bang, as he celebrated Mass for 60,000 people in the field surrounding the national Basilica of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows.
Pope Calls For Integration of Roma People; Condemns Prejudice, Exclusion
Speaking at the largest Roma impoverished community in Europe, Pope Francis said they are not in the margins of the Catholic Church, but at its center, and that they should be at the center of society too, integrated and not hidden from view.
Pope Francis Condemns Political Use of Religious Symbols During Slovakia Liturgy
Pope Francis said on Tuesday, Sept. 14, that the cross is not a flag to be waved, nor a political symbol. The pontiff’’s remarks were seen as a rebuke of populist politicians such as Matteo Salvini in Italy and Viktor Orban in Hungary using religious symbols as political tools.
Pope Condemns ‘Every Form of Antisemitism’ During Slovakia Visit
Speaking in the place that was once the beating heart of Slovakia’s Jewish quarter, Pope Francis asked for Jews and Christians to work together so that the past is not forgotten, and religion doesn’t become irrelevant.
In Slovakia, Pope Calls For Freedom in Both Civil Society and Church
Speaking to civil authorities in Slovakia, a country that for decades was under one-party Communist rule, Pope Francis warned against the “single-thought” system of consumerism and ideological colonization.
Diaspora and Disease: Pope Francis Will Face Pressing Issues on Next Trip Abroad
Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to Hungary and Slovakia, while seemingly standard as papal visits go, could prove to be among his most challenging visits at a time when distrust in government authorities and the looming threat of the delta variant are leading the headlines.