Pope Leo XIV asked Slovakia to “cherish and uphold the traditional family” and to “build bridges instead of walls,” President Peter Pellegrini said following a papal audience yesterday.
“To our young people, his message shines with clarity and hope: Seek faith with courage, take an active role in shaping our society, and prepare yourselves to shoulder the future of our beloved homeland,” Pellegrini continued. “Pope Leo XIV also expressed his sincere desire to visit Slovakia soon. As President, I welcome this hope with open arms.”
President Pellegrini subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Msgr. Mihăiță Blaj, the recently appointed Undersecretary for Relations with States. The parties discussed Church-state relations, the international situation, and “strengthening social cohesion, promoting justice and protecting the family,” according to a Vatican
statement.
Slovakia, a Central European nation of 5.6 million (map), is 84% Christian (73% Catholic). Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2021.