Visit of H. Em. Cardinal Kurt Koch to Slovakia

The President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, His Eminence, Cardinal Kurt Koch, accepted the invitation of the NAPS Institute and in the beginning of October 2017 he visited the Slovak Republic for the first time with the following program:

Participation at XIII. NAPS International Ecumenical Concert 2017, dedicated to the memory of the First President of the Modern Slovak Republic and Honorary Member of the NAPS Institute, H. E. Mr. Michal Kováč. The charity event was also attended by Metropolitan Arsenios, the personal legate of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and took place at the new building of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava.

Visit to the Apostolic Nunciature in Bratislava and meeting with Archbishop Giacomo G. Ottonello, Apostolic Nuncio to Slovakia.

Meeting with the Mayor of the Slovak Capital City of Bratislava, Mr. Ivo Nesrovnal.

Visiting the General Bishopric of the Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Slovakia and a meeting with the honorable Mr. Miloš Klátik, the General Bishop of ECAC and the President of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia.

Cardinal Koch attended the academic session of Comenius University in Bratislava, where from the rector of the University, His Magnificence prof. Karola Mičieta, received the Golden Medal of the university. The ceremony of the Scientific Council of the CU was attended by several academic and social authorities.

Lunch served by the President of the Conference of Bishops of Slovakia, H. E. Mons. Stanislav Zvolenský, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bratislava.

Audience granted by the President of the Slovak Republic, H. E. Mr. Andrej Kiska.

Meeting with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Lukáš Parízek.

Special audience granted to members of the Council of the NAPS Institute.

Visiting the largest pilgrimage site of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia in Ľutina.

Visiting the Orthodox Eparchy in Prešov and a meeting with the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, His Beatitude The Most Blessed Rastislav.

Visit of the Metropolitan Office of the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia in Prešov. Meeting with the Metropolitan Archbishop of Prešov Ján Babjak SJ and a gala lunch held with the participation of local civil and ecclesiastical authorities.