Gasparovic: Pope Francis Was Striving for Global Peace

Bratislava, April 21 (TASR) - Pope Francis devoted his whole soul to striving for peace in the world, and what characterised him most was his relationship with ordinary people, former Slovak president Ivan Gasparovic (2004-14) stated in response to the death of the Holy Father on Monday. "It is a great loss that he has passed away because I considered him to be a Holy Father who understood the times. He always appealed to those who make decisions about peace, and he wholeheartedly worked for peace in the world. And what defined him most was his connection with ordinary people," reads a statement from the former Slovak president provided to TASR by his former spokesperson Marek Trubac. Gasparovic was the first Slovak president to visit the Holy Father in 2013, and he also invited him to visit Slovakia. Pope Francis died on Monday morning at the age of 88. mf/df