It was a significant revelation from Pope Francis, coming at a time when a group of bishops in the United States are pushing to deny Communion to pro-choice politicians, including President Joe Biden.

Celebrating Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the pope encouraged Slovak Catholics to open their hearts to a faith that “identifies with those who are hurting, suffering and forced to bear heavy crosses.”

Pope Francis weighed in on the debate about whether politicians should be denied Communion because of their stance on abortion.

The pope’s message on the meaning of the cross resonated with the Greek Catholic community, whose members suffered harsh persecution and were prohibited to exist under Czechoslovakia’s Communist rule from 1948 to 1989.

Women in Roma settlements across Slovakia are gaining agency and bringing about a better future for the next generation.

On his second day in Bratislava, Pope Francis called Slovakia “to be a message of peace in the heart of Europe” and the church to evangelize with “freedom, creativity, and dialogue.”