This archive report was first published on 4 July 2021.
Pope Francis has confirmed plans to visit Slovakia in September, with a brief stop in Hungary to celebrate a mass in Budapest.
On Sunday, Francis announced his plans to visit Slovakia from September 12 to 15, where he will hold a pastoral visit.
He will also celebrate the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest on September 12.
The visit to Slovakia will include stops in the cities of Bratislava, Presov, Kosice, and Sastin, according to the Vatican.
The invitation to visit Slovakia was extended by President Zuzana Caputova, who met with Francis in Rome last December.
Caputova expressed her hope that the pope's visit would be a message of reconciliation and hope for the people of Slovakia in these difficult times.
Francis had previously signalled his intention to attend the Budapest congress in March, stating that it would not be a state visit to Hungary.
