According to the Presidential Palace, two daughters, parents and partner Čaputová, were present at the meeting. It is interesting that the president is not married to her friend Juraj Rizman.
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Čaputová donated bread to the Pope as a symbol of connection, a book by the painter and restorer Mária Bidelnicová, a charging station for electric cars, medical supplies including a lung ventilator and honey from the hives from the garden of the Presidential Palace.
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Afterwards, Pope Francis met with five hundred invited representatives of the state, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the garden of the Presidential Palace. President Čaputová and the Pope made a speech.
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Pope Francis was welcomed in Slovakia by President Zuzana Čaputová.
Photo: Gregorio Borgia, CTK / AP
In her speech, President Čaputová reminded that during a joint meeting in the Vatican, Pope František said that Slovakia has it in its heart. “These days we have the opportunity to show you that your person, your spiritual mission and your thoughts have a place in our hearts,” said the head of state. She emphasized that Czechoslovakia had been divided peacefully and that Czechs and Slovaks now lived side by side in mutual respect and cooperation. “The world is facing crises and the only way to manage them is to cooperate,” the president said.
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Pope Francis also emphasized that the world admired the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia. He described Slovakia as a country that can inspire peace and brotherhood. “It is urgent especially at a time when we expect the coveted restart of the economy after the pandemic. There is a risk that we will rush and succumb to the temptation of profit. This evokes a temporary euphoria that divides the place of connection, “said Pope Francis.
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Pope Francis in Bratislava
Photo: Remo Casilli, Reuters
The parents of the murdered journalist Ján Kuciak and the mother of his murdered fiancée Zlatica Kušnírová also received an invitation to the garden of the Presidential Palace. “It was a very big surprise for us. We didn’t expect that at all. For us, it is such a satisfaction and meeting the pope will be a lifelong memorial, “Kušnírová told Novinka.
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WITHOUT COMMENT: Arrival of Pope Francis
Video: Facebook / Zuzana Caputova
Pope Francis caused wrinkles on the head of the security guards when on the way from the Presidential Palace to the Church of St. Martin had the column stopped and greeted the people on the street who were waving at him.
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The head of the Catholic Church will then meet with bishops and seminarians in the Bratislava Cathedral of St. Martin and representatives of the Jewish community on the site of the former synagogue. He will also visit the center for homeless people in Bratislava’s Petržalka district. In the early evening, he will also receive the Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár and Prime Minister Eduard Heger at the Apostolic Nunciature.
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Before arriving in Slovakia, Pope Francis asked for an emission-free car and the choice fell on the electric Škoda Enyaq. The electric car was also used by the pope in 2018 during a visit to Latin America, and he chose the Škoda car in the same year during a visit to Ireland, when he drove in a rapid. The head of the Catholic Church will have two papamobiles available in Slovakia, which he will use mainly at mass meetings in eastern Slovakia and in Šaštín.
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Pope Francis accompanied by Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová
Photo: Gregorio Borgia, CTK / AP
Pope Francis will visit Bratislava, Prešov, Košice and Šaštín near the border with the Czech Republic in Slovakia.
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