On Wednesday, thousands of people gathered on Svätopluk Square in Nitra to attend the National Pilgrimage of Saints Cyril and Methodius, which is also a national holiday in Slovakia. The ceremonial mass was celebrated by the top representative of the Icelandic Catholic Church, the Bishop of Reykjavik David Bartimej Tencer, who comes from Slovakia. Tencer called on the faithful not only to protect, but also to develop the "heritage of the fathers", as is the traditional slogan of the holiday.
The national ceremony of Saints Cyril and Methodius took place also at Devín Castle near Bratislava, where Prime Minister Robert Fico in his speech called for strengthening the partnership in ideas between Church and State in the turbulent times of the 21st century. According to Fico, the Church "has an important role in preventing migration waves and boundless liberalism from violating the core of European integration". In his speech at Devín Castle, Fico also took a pot-shot at President Andrej Kiska, who did not attend the celebrations. The President's spokesperson Roman Krpelan reacted that President Kiska had attended several celebrations of state holidays without seeing Prime Minister Robert Fico among the present.
