Pope Francis’ 34th apostolic journey abroad began on September 12 in Budapest, where he was received by the highest authorities of the Hungarian Government and State, held meetings with representatives of several sectors and celebrated the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.

On that same day, His Holiness arrived in Bratislava, where he was welcomed by thetop leaders of the country and fulfilled a busy work agenda with events in the capital and the cities of Presov, Kosice and Sastin, the latter is the seat of the Basilica consecrated in 1762 to Our Lady of Sorrows.

There, the Pope met on Wednesday with the bishops and officiated a mass for thousands of parishioners in the esplanade of the temple, before returning to Bratislava, from where he left for Rome.

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