Shock in Šaštín: Róbert Bezák in the column of Pope František – Pluska.sk

Holy Father Francis came to Šaštín on the last day of his apostolic journey in Slovakia. Before the Holy Mass, on which the homily is heard from the head of the Catholic Church, he met with the Slovak bishops. But he brought the Archbishop Emeritus of Róbert, Róbert Bezák, from Trnava himself.

In one column

Róbert Bezák announced his participation in Šaštín in advance, this happened after a personal audience with Pope František, who received it with his relatives on Monday in Bratislava. It was preceded by a minor incident when he failed to St. Martin’s Cathedral, full of Slovak bishops. However, the dismissed Archbishop of Trnava did not come to Šaštín as a civilian pilgrim, he appeared in front of the basilica there together with the papal column. “It’s a big deal,” say experts in the church environment.

Pope Francis was accompanied in the car by which he arrived by the Archbishop of Bratislava and the President of the Conference of Bishops of Slovakia Stanislav Zvolenský. Later, Róbert Bezák concelebrated the Holy Mass and sat in a place of honor next to the Pope together with our other bishops.

PHOTO by Róbert Bezák, coming to Šaštín in the Pápa column, in the GALLERY >>>

Pilgrims from other countries as well

The Holy Father moved among the pilgrims in a papamobile throughout the area. He greeted and blessed those present. People greeted him in the area with applause and waving, especially with Vatican or Slovak flags. People from other countries can also be seen in Šaštín, for example from the neighboring Czech Republic. Sectors for people began to open on Tuesday after 22.00, there are currently tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Take a look at President Zuzana Čaputová and other politicians at the Holy Mass in Šaštín in the GALLERY >>>

The celebration is held in Latin. Individual readings and readings from the Gospel according to Luke are taught in Slovak. The prayers of the believers will be in Slovak, English, German, Hungarian and Romani, followed by the blessing of the families. At the end of the Holy Mass, the Pope will be greeted by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bratislava, Stanislav Zvolenský, and the Holy Father will also greet the people.

Mass in Šaštín is held on the feast of the Virgin Mary of the Seven Sorrows, who is the patron saint of Slovakia. At the same time, Wednesday is the last day of the apostolic journey of the head of the Catholic Church in Slovakia. He has completed a rich program since Sunday, September 12. It included an ecumenical meeting, a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus, a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace, where he subsequently met with the head of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová. In the Presidential Garden, he attended a meeting with representatives of the state, civil society and diplomacy, in the Cathedral of St. Martin in Bratislava was again a meeting with bishops, priests, consecrated persons, catechists and seminarians. On Monday (September 13), he visited the center of Bethlehem and met with the Jewish community. On Tuesday, the head of the Catholic Church completed a program in eastern Slovakia. After the Holy Liturgy, which he served in Prešov, he visited the Luník IX housing estate in Košice, where he greeted marginalized communities. He then met young people at the Lokomotiva Stadium in Košice.

After the Mass, Pope František will move from Šaštín to the MR Štefánik Airport in Bratislava, where a farewell ceremony will take place. He then flies to Rome.

PHOTO by Róbert Bezák, coming to Šaštín in the Pápa column, in the GALLERY >>>