President Leaves for Vatican to Meet Pope Francis

Vatican City/Bratislava, December 8 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini left for a three-day trip to the Vatican on Sunday, where he will be received by Pope Francis for a personal audience on Monday (December 9). The programme of the Slovak head of state's trip to the Vatican also includes a meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a visit to the Pontifical Slovak Institute and the College of St. Cyril and Methodius, and a discussion with compatriots working at the Holy See. In the Vatican Gardens, Pellegrini will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the planting of a Slovak lime tree by then president Michal Kovac. The president's delegation will visit St. Peter's Basilica and, in St. Peter's Square, will see the international exhibition '100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican', which includes three nativity scenes from Slovakia. lin/mf