Speaking at a meeting in the garden of the Presidential Palace with the authorities, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps, during his apostolic visit to Slovakia, the Pope called for a ‘new beginning, recognizing that we are all fragile and in need of others.’

None of us can isolate ourselves, either as individuals or as a nation. Let us embrace this crisis as a call to rethink our lifestyles, Pope Francis said, recalling what he said in his encyclical, Brothers and Sisters.

It is no use questioning the past; we must get down to work to build the future together. I would like you to do so with your gaze turned upwards, as when you look at your splendid Tatra Mountains, he stressed.

On the other hand, referring to the longed-for economic recovery after ‘very hard months of pandemic,’ the Pope warned that there is a risk of getting carried away by haste and the seduction of profits, generating a fleeting euphoria which divides rather than unites.

Moreover, he pointed out, the economic recovery alone is not enough in a world where we are all connected, where we all live together.

This was the Pope’s third event on the second day of his visit, which started on Sunday.

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