Today the Holy Father Francis received in audience Her Excellency Mrs Zuzana Čaputová, President of the Slovak Republic, who subsequently met with His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions in the Secretariat of State, appreciation was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations, with the hope that they may be further strengthened in the field of education, and with regard to the role of the Church in society. Mention was then made of some issues of mutual interest, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, social justice and the protection of creation.

Finally, the Parties focused on matters of regional and international nature, such as security, migrations and efforts at multilateral level for conflict prevention and resolution, with particular attention to the challenges of the present and future of Europe.