14. October 2017
NAPS Founder with Spouse Meet Pope Francis for the Third Time
Mid October 2017, NAPS founder Peter Solej and his spouse Lenka went on a three-day visit to the City of Vatican. The climax of their stay has been the third personal meeting with the Head of the Catholic Church world-wide, His Holiness Pope Francis. Mr. and Mrs. Solej were received at the Clementine Hall, Apostolic Palace in Vatican. This private audience has been granted to the members of the Prayer´s League of the Blessed Emperor Charles of Austria and members of von Habsburg family. „We used this special opportunity to inform the Holy Father about NAPS current activities, especially our international ecumenical efforts. The Pope has been delighted to hear that, and willingly received photo book presenting 13 year history of the Institute. I do really appreciate Pope’s personal apostolic blessing and his plea to pray for him. Me and my wife, we were delighted to tell the Holy Father that it has been happening for a long time,“ said NAPS founder Peter Solej for the media, and added, he considers all meetings with the Pope as an undeserved mercy and great honor.
During the Vatican stay at the Holy See, Peter Solej met also His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. „Together with the Cardinal, we have spoken and evaluated his first historical visit to Slovakia, which was organized upon our invitation. I am deeply grateful and happy, the closest coworker of the Pope for ecumenical matters felt welcomed and enjoyed his stay in our country, and as he told me, cherishes many pleasant memories,“ said Solej. Cardinal Koch has visited Slovakia for three days at the beginning of this month. The key point of his schedule was the participation and speech at the XIII. NAPS International Ecumenical Concert 2017 dedicated in memory of first Slovak President in modern history and NAPS Honorary Member Mr. Michal Kováč. This year event hosted also the Orthodox Metropolitan Arsenios from Vienna, personal legate of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and took place at the new building of the Slovak National Theater. The telerecording will be broadcasted by the RTVS 2 on November 1st 2017.
NAPS founder Peter Solej has also met the Slovak Cardinal Jozef Tomko, President Emeritus of the Congregation of the Holy See for the Evangelization of Peoples. „We have known each other, with the cardinal, for 13 years. I really appreciate the Slovak living legend has found time for our talk about various topics also during this my visit in the eternal city,“ added Solej.