Pope Greeted by Cheering Crowds, Some Puzzlement on First Visit to Slovakia in 18 years

Pope Francis gets off a plane upon arrival at Bratislava International Aiport. He was welcomed with a traditional tasting of bread and salt on the tarmac of the airport, and received a bouquet of flowers typical for Slovakia. Traffic in the country's capital was paralysed for several hours on the day given extraordinary safety measures. At the same time as the pope's arrival, protesters in Bratislava were demanding the separation of church and state. Though the organisers pointed out their protest was not particularly targeted against the pope, they called on him to meet with victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by priests. Slovakia, 12 September 2021. EPA-EFE/LUCA ZENNARO Slovak President Zuzana Caputova and Pope Francis during a meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the garden of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava. "When asked how he is doing, he answered that he feels like he is becoming younger again, because this journey fills him with energy," President Čaputová noted. Pope Francis went on to mention solidarity, the need for integration and peace. "We need a brotherhood to be able to support integration," he said as he received several gifts, including a symbolic loaf of bread and honey from the Presidential Garden. Slovakia, 13 September 2021. EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA A sign reading "Welcome to our place" is rolled out on the wall of a Roma settlement in the Lunik IX district, in the eastern metropolis of Kosice, on the day of Pope Francis' visit. The district is notorious for being one of the poorest in the country and is labeled the biggest Roma "ghetto". It's largely inhabited by marginalised members of the Roma community. The pope is said to have selected the venue for his visit as part of efforts to reach out to poorer...