On Sunday 12 September Pope Francis will depart from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport arriving at Budapest International Airport at 7.45 am. Following an official welcome, the Pope will meet with the country’s bishops and meet with representatives of the Ecumenical Council of Churches and Jewish communities. In the afternoon the Pope will preside over Holy Mass for the closing of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress before departing for Bratislava, Slovakia.
Highlights of the Pope’s first full day in Slovakia on Monday 13 September, will include a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic, as well as meetings with political leaders and an encounter with Bishops, Priests and Religious.
On the morning of Tuesday 14 September, Pope Francis will depart for Košice where he will preside over the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. Later in the day, he will meet with the Roma community and with young people before flying back to Bratislava.
Wedneday 15th
On the final day of his visit to Slovakia, Pope Francis will preside over Holy Mass at the National Shrine in Šaštin. Following a farewell ceremony, the Pope will depart for Rome at 15.30 in the afternoon of Wednesday 15 September.
The logo for the Apostolic Visit
The logo picks up on the theme of the visitation: at the bottom is a road, symbolising the way to the cross, inside a heart, a reminder of St Joseph’s love for Jesus and of Our Lady, patron saint of Slovakia. The seven stars are a reference to the “Seven Sorrows” of the name given to the Virgin Mary. The elements of the logo bear the colours white, blue and red of the Slovak flag and white and yellow of the Vatican flag.
Please find the full itinerary below:
Sunday 12 September
ROME – BUDAPEST – BRATISLAVA
06:00 Departure by airplane from Rome/Fiumicino International Airport for Budapest
07:45 Arrival at Budapest International Airport
07:45 OFFICIAL WELCOME at Budapest International Airport
08:45 MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC AND THE PRIME MINISTER at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest
09:15 MEETING WITH THE BISHOPS at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest
10:00 MEETING WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES AND SOME JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN HUNGARY at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest
11:30 HOLY MASS at Heroes’ Square in Budapest
14:30 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Budapest International Airport
14:40Departure by airplane for Bratislava
15:30Arrival at Bratislava International Airport
15:30 OFFICIAL WELCOME at Bratislava International Airport
16:30 ECUMENICAL MEETING at the Apostolic Nunciature in Bratislava
17:30 PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS at the Apostolic Nunciature in Bratislava
Monday 13 September 2021
BRATISLAVA
09:15 WELCOME CEREMONY at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava
09:30 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC in the “Golden Hall” of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava
10:00 MEETING WITH AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the garden of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava
10:45 MEETING WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, CONSECRATED PERSONS, SEMINARIANS, CATECHISTS at the Cathedral of Saint Martin in Bratislava
16:00 PRIVATE VISIT TO THE “BETHLEHEM CENTER” in Bratislava
16:45 MEETING WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY at Rybné námestie Square in Bratislava
18:00 VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENT at the Apostolic Nunciature in Bratislava
18:15 VISIT OF THE PRIME MINISTER at the Apostolic Nunciature in BratislavaTuesday 14 September 2021BRATISLAVA – KOŠICE – PREŠOV – KOŠICE – BRATISLAVA
08:10 Departure by airplane for Košice
09:00 Arrival at Košice Airport
10:30 BYZANTINE DIVINE LITURGY OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM PRESIDED BY THE HOLY FATHER in the square of the Mestská športová hala in Prešov
16:00 MEETING WITH THE ROMA COMMUNITY at Luník IX district in Košice
17:00 MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE at Lokomotiva Stadium in Košice
18:30 Departure by airplane for Bratislava
19:30 Arrival at Bratislava International Airport
Wednesday 15 September 2021
BRATISLAVA – ŠAŠTIN – BRATISLAVA – ROME
10:00 HOLY MASS at the National Shrine in Šaštin
13:30 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Bratislava International Airport
13:45 Departure by airplane for Rome
15:30 Arrival at Rome/Ciampino International Airport
ENDS
Source: Vatican News article
