Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

More Catholics to see Pope Francis in Slovakia as COVID rules eased

More Catholics to see Pope Francis in Slovakia as COVID rules eased

Authorities in Slovakia are easing COVID rules to allow more Catholics to see Pope Francis during his Sept. 12-15 trip to the country.
Access to papal events will no longer be limited to the fully vaccinated, but will also be open to people with a recent negative test result or proof of recovery within the past 180 days, the website of the Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia announced on Sept. 4.

Local bishops reluctantly agreed to restrict papal gatherings to the fully vaccinated amid concerns that the trip would contribute to a third wave of the virus.

But a Church spokesman said last month that the requirement was creating a headache for organizers of the four-city trip.

Fr. Martin Kramara, the spokesman for the Slovakian bishops’ conference, said that the bishops had agreed to the condition because the alternative was limiting papal events to just 1,000 people.

According to local media, he noted last month that interest in the visit appeared lower than expected.

Reports suggested that events were at just 13% of their capacity, with 57,000 people having registered to see the pope as of Sept. 2, in a country of 5.5 million people, 62% of whom are Catholics.

Slovakia has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccination in Europe, with just 51.3% of the population having received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Sept. 6, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

A Slovak Academy of Sciences poll in July found that 36% of Slovakians said they did not want to receive the COVID vaccine, up from 30.9% in May.

The same month, hundreds of people gathered outside Slovakia’s parliament in protest of possible new vaccine rules.

Catholics who are not fully vaccinated will be allowed to register for papal events from Sept. 6 via the official website if they meet certain conditions.

In Slovakia, regions are designated as either “green” or “orange,” depending on COVID levels. Organizers of large events in orange zones must choose between three categories: “base mode,” in which everyone can attend; “OTP mode,” in which attendance is limited to those who are fully vaccinated, have tested negatively, or have overcome COVID; or only for the fully vaccinated.

The papal visit is now open to participants using the OTP mode, who will have their own sectors at events in Prešov, Košice, Luník IX (home to Slovakia’s largest Romani community), and Šaštín, distinct from the sectors for fully vaccinated pilgrims.

“The registered participant will receive a ticket with a QR code by email: they will print the ticket and bring it to the event,” the bishops’ conference website explained.

“When entering the OTP sector, attendees will be asked to show their ticket, ID, and a negative test or confirmation of having overcome COVID in the last 180 days.”

Pope Francis formally announced on July 4 that he would be visiting Hungary and Slovakia.

Speaking after his Angelus address, the pope confirmed that he would travel to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on Sept. 12 for the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.

He will arrive in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, on the same day, spending two full days in the country bordering Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, and Austria, before flying back to Rome on Sept. 15.

In an interview with the Spanish radio station COPE aired on Sept. 1, the pope indicated that he was traveling to Slovakia because of a preference for visiting “small countries” in Europe.

Asking if he was interested in visiting Spain, Europe’s fourth-largest country by area, he replied: “Very much. Very much. But my choice so far of travel to Europe is the small countries. First, it was Albania and then all the countries that were small.”

“Now Slovakia is on the program, then Cyprus, Greece, and Malta. I wanted to take that option: first to the smaller countries. I went to Strasbourg but I did not go to France. I went to Strasbourg because of the EU. And if I go to Santiago [de Compostela], I go to Santiago but not to Spain, let’s be clear.”

The pope asked on Sept. 5 for prayers ahead of his trip to Hungary and Slovakia.

“Next Sunday I will travel to Budapest for the conclusion of the International Eucharistic Congress. My pilgrimage will continue after the Mass for a few days in Slovakia, and will conclude the following Wednesday with the great popular celebration of Our Lady of Sorrows, Patroness of that country,” he said after reciting the Sunday Angelus.

“These will be days marked by adoration and prayer in the heart of Europe. While I greet affectionately those who have prepared this journey -- and I thank you -- and those who await me and whom I myself wholeheartedly wish to meet, I ask everyone to accompany me in prayer, and I entrust the visits I will undertake to the intercession of so many heroic confessors of the faith, who in those places bore witness to the Gospel amid hostility and persecution.”

“May they help Europe to bear witness today also, not so much in words but above all in deeds, with works of mercy and hospitality, the good news of the Lord who loves us and saves us.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
×