The Italian airline's aircraft Alitalia, which carried the Holy Father as the main passenger, landed at Fiumicino airport at 3:21 p.m. on September 15, after a short flight from Bratislava airport. Immediately after landing on Italian soil, the Pope went, as usual after every trip he makes, to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Salus Populi Romani and finally return to the Vatican. He thus put an end to an apostolic journey, although close in distance, of great spiritual importance.
The trip began on Sunday, September 12, to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, for the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.
Also an ecumenical journey
Around 10:00 a.m. and after having greeted the Hungarian authorities and the bishops of the country, the Holy Father participated in the meeting with the Ecumenical Council of Churches and representatives of the Jewish Community, organized at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. In his speech, Pope Francis thanked them for their words of welcome and encouraged them to continue working together in charity: "We are all called to work together in charity.I look at you, brothers in the faith of Christ, and I bless the path of communion that you are pursuing. I look at you, brothers in the faith of Abraham our father, and I greatly appreciate the commitment you have shown to tear down the walls of separation of the past. You, Jews and Christians, wish to see in each other no longer a stranger, but a friend; no longer an adversary, but a brother and sister.".
On the other hand, the Pope emphasized that "he who follows God is called to leave behind." various aspects of life: "It is not by chance that all those who in Scripture are called to follow the Lord in a special way always have to leave, to walk, to reach unexplored lands and unknown spaces. Let us think of Abraham, who left home, relatives and homeland. We, Christians and Jews, are asked to leave behind the misunderstandings of the past, the pretensions of being right and blaming others, to set out on the road towards his promise of peace, because God always has plans for peace"..
Taking up the evocative image of the Chain Bridge, which connects the two parts of the city of Budapest, Francis said that this "does not merge them into one, but holds them together"and that this is how the ties between Jews and Christians should be, leaving the past and its pains behind: "Every time we have been tempted to absorb others, we have not built them up, but destroyed them; the same has happened when we have wanted to marginalize them in a ghetto instead of integrating them. How many times has this happened in history! We must be attentive and pray that it does not happen again.".
In this context, the Pontiff encouraged everyone to get involved and to promote together "an education for fraternity".so that the outbreaks of hatred that want to destroy it do not prevail: "We are not going to be able to stop the outbreaks of hatred that want to destroy it.I am thinking of the threat of anti-Semitism, which still snakes in Europe and elsewhere. It is a fuse that needs to be extinguished and the best way to defuse it is to work positively together, to promote fraternity. The bridge continues to serve us as an example, it is supported by large chains, made up of many links. We are these links and each link is fundamental, that is why we cannot continue to live in suspicion, distant and divided.".
Closing of the Congress
Heroes' Square in Budapest. Accompanied by more than one hundred thousand faithful. Pope Francis presided over the concluding Eucharistic celebration of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.
The media have especially highlighted the contrast with which the Pope opposed the actions of the powerful of the world and the silent, nonviolent reign of God on the cross: "The crucial difference is between the true God and the god of our self. How far is He who reigns silently on the cross from the false god who we would like to reign by force and reduce our enemies to silence! How different is Christ, who proposes himself only with love, from the powerful and triumphant messiahs, flattered by the world!".
On the other hand, of course, Hungarian politicians also tried to use the Pope's visit for their own purposes, bearing in mind that parliamentary elections will be held next spring.
But, as the director of Omnes states in a column that can be read on the web page www.omnesmag.comThe real key to interpretation is to be sought in the Eucharist, which was the motive and theme of the visit. The Pope's invitation in his homily at the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress was: "The Eucharist is the key to interpretation, and the key to interpretation is the Eucharist, which was the motive and theme of the visit.Let us allow the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist to transform us, as it transformed the great and courageous saints whom you venerate, I am thinking of St. Stephen and St. Elizabeth. Like them, let us not be content with little, let us not resign ourselves to a faith that lives on rituals and repetitions, let us open ourselves to the scandalous novelty of God crucified and risen, Bread broken to give life to the world. Then we will live in joy; and we will bring joy to the world.".
On the same Sunday afternoon, he traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia. There he would also have an ecumenical meeting and a meeting with the Jesuits. This last meeting took place in a cordial and familiar atmosphere, typical of the meetings of Pope Francis with the Jesuits during his Apostolic Journeys. This was also the case with this one, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Bratislava, where he met for about an hour and a half with his brothers from the country he was visiting, as reported by the publication La Civiltà Cattolica. In a relaxed tone, one of those present inquired about his state of health, to which he replied that "he was in good health.still alive. Even though some people wanted me deadHe added, ironically, that he is aware that there have been "some problems" in the past.even meetings between Prelates, who thought that the Pope was more serious than what was being said. They were preparing for the conclave", referring to last July's operation.
Already in Slovakia
The following morning, Monday, September 13, after his courtesy visit to the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Caputová, which took place in the Golden Hall of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Pope Francis continued his day's program for a meeting with political and religious authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps.
In this meeting, Francis wanted to recall that "Slovakia's history is indelibly marked by faith"He also expressed his wish that this ".help to nurture in a connatural way purposes and feelings of fraternity and brotherhood". And to do so by being inspired "in the great lives of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Saints Cyril and Methodius"that "spread the Gospel when the Christians of the continent were united; and still today they unite the confessions of this land.".
He stressed that "We must strive to build a future in which the laws are applied equally to all, on the basis of a justice that is never for sale. And for justice not to remain an abstract idea, but to be as concrete as bread, it is necessary to undertake a serious fight against corruption and, above all, to promote and impose legality.".
That morning he also met in the cathedral with bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, seminarians and catechists, before leaving for one of the most eagerly awaited visits: the Bethlehem Center.
With the Missionaries of Charity
It was the afternoon of Monday, September 13, when the Holy Father visited the Missionaries of Charity, who work in the Petržalka neighborhood in the city of Bratislava. There are currently six nuns working in the Bethlehem Center, in the midst of the apartment blocks. They will soon be joined by a seventh nun, from India. During the week they care for about thirty homeless people, or those in other difficult situations. During the weekend, the number of people they serve increases to between 130 and 150. The sisters prepare food packages for them, and talk to them.
Pope Francis greeted the faithful and entered the building. Outside, children chanted: "It doesn't matter if you are big, it doesn't matter if you are small: you can be a saint.". Inside, the Pope met with the people cared for at the center and with the nuns. "He put his hand on my head and blessed me. I wished him good health"Juan, one of the people at the center, tells us.
At the end of the day, Francis would meet with the Jewish community, a very powerful meeting, where the Pope called for "a new way of life".May the Almighty bless you so that, in the midst of so much discord that pollutes our world, you may always be, together, witnesses of peace. Shalom". He also held a meeting with the President of the Parliament and the President of the Government, before retiring to rest for the next day.
The most awaited visit
Tuesday dawned sunny in Prešov, where the Pope would celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, according to the Byzantine rite, in memory of the Greek Catholic martyrs; one of the high points. "A Christianity without a cross is worldly and becomes sterile"The Pope said in his homily, and encouraged us to look more deeply at the reality of the cross: "The reality of the cross is a reality that we must not forget.St. John, on the other hand, saw in the cross the work of God. He recognized in the crucified Christ the glory of God. He saw that He, in spite of appearances, was not a failure, but that He was God who willingly offered Himself for all men and women.".
Pope Francis assured that "the cross does not want to be a flag to fly, but the pure source of a new way of living. Which one? That of the Gospel, that of the Beatitudes. The witness who has the cross in his heart and not only in his neck does not see anyone as an enemy, but sees everyone as brothers and sisters for whom Jesus has given his life.". The Holy Father concluded the homily by making an appeal: "Keep the beloved memory of the people who have brought you up in the faith. Humble, simple people who have given their lives, loving to the end. Witnesses beget other witnesses, because they are givers of life. And this is how faith is spread. And today the Lord, from the vibrant silence of the cross, also says to you: "Will you be my witness??".
With the gypsy community and young people
And then came the visit of Pope Francis to the Gypsy neighborhood of Lunìk IX in Košice, which generated the greatest expectation. More than 5,000 people from the gypsy community were waiting for the Holy Father to listen to him and see him in his "own home". These people are forced to live in conditions of degradation and poverty and their only support is a Salesian center where Father Peter Žatkulák, whom we have been able to interview for Omnes, is located. www.omnesmag.com. According to Žatkulák, ".Luník IX is an urban ghetto, with its own rules. And it is these very rules that produce the misery here. A small minority thinks that the majority should respect the tone they set: loud music until late at night, children running out of the house after dinner, burning dumpsters, garbage thrown in the street...". Pope Francis focused his message in Lunìk on the importance of ".hostthe look on us," "the look on us," "the look on us," "the look on us.so that we learn to see others well, to discover that we have other children of God at our side and to recognize them as brothers and sisters". Well, as you recalled: "This is the Church, a family of brothers and sisters with the same Father, who has given us Jesus as a brother, so that we may understand how much he loves fraternity. And he longs for the whole of humanity to become a universal family.".
On Tuesday afternoon, Francis met with young people at the Lokomotiva stadium in Košice. There he encouraged them to dream big, and not to let themselves be trapped by passing fads that can lead us away from the Lord: "When you dream of love, do not believe in special effects, but that each of you is special. Each one of you is a gift and can make life a gift. The others, society, the poor are waiting for you. Dream of a beauty that goes beyond appearance, beyond fashion trends. Dream without fear of forming a family, of procreating and educating children, of spending a life sharing everything with another person, without being ashamed of your own frailties, because there is him or her who welcomes you and loves you. The dreams we have tell us about the life we long for. The great dreams are not the powerful car, the fashionable clothes or the transgressive trip. Do not listen to those who talk to you about dreams and instead sell you illusions, they are manipulators of happiness.".
Closing of the trip
The visit to Slovakia would come to an end with the celebration of the Holy Mass in the open air at the Shrine of Šaštín. More than 50,000 people came to Šaštín to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, patroness of Slovakia, at the Holy Mass with Pope Francis.
The Pope stressed that "Faith cannot be reduced to a sugar that sweetens life. Jesus is a sign of contradiction. He came to bring light where there is darkness, bringing darkness to the light and forcing it to surrender. That is why darkness always fights against Him. Whoever accepts Christ and opens himself to him rises; whoever rejects him closes himself in darkness and is ruined."
It was the perfect finale to a very important four-day trip to Slovakia. After the Mass, the farewell ceremony took place at the airport and the return to Rome.
