Pope Benedict XVI who is to officially abdicate on February 28th received Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič on Wednesday in the Vatican. They spoke for about ten minutes. President Gašparovič was the only president to attend the pope’s final general audience at St. Peter’s Square where tens of thousands of people crowded to bid farewell to the pope. President Ivan Gašparovič presented the pontiff with a gift – Saint Gorazd’s embossment and a letter in which he expresses his respect for the pope on behalf of all Slovaks.
“I thank you for the prayers that accompanied my service of the successor to Saint Peter and I bless you and your families from my heart,” said Benedict XVI in the Slovak language to the crowd on the square. There were many Slovaks greeting the pontiff with banners thanking him for his service. The Slovak Bishops’ Conference is organizing a National Pilgrimage to Rome on the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of St. Cyril and Methodius to the territory of current Slovakia. As the Slovak President claims, the pope regrets the fact that he will not be able to come to Slovakia for these festivities. Pope Benedict XVI bid an emotional farewell at his last general audience on Wednesday, saying he understood the gravity of his decision to be the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. The Vatican is aiming to have a new pope elected by mid-March and installed before Palm Sunday on March 24th so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter.
Katarína Richterová
