John Paul II, who is paying his third visit to Slovakia, has made the impression of being serene but very tired, the daily SME reported, after the Pope was unable to finish his speech in Bratislava and later in Trnava.
In his address, President Rudolf Schuster told the Pope that Slovakia anticipates words of papal encouragement and support.
The Pope asked Slovaks to contribute to the shaping of Europe's identity with its rich Christian tradition. He also thanked Schuster for vetoing the revision to the abortion act.
The Pope granted an audience to top representatives of the state and had a brief 15-minute conversation with each of them. "It was touching," described Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, of his meeting with the Catholic leader.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.