Pope urges compassion as he wraps Slovakia pilgrimage

Pope Francis is urging Slovakians look out for the neediest among them as he wraps up his four-day pilgrimage

SASTIN, Slovakia -- Pope Francis urged Slovakians on Wednesday to look out for the neediest among them as he ended his first post-surgery trip with a huge open-air Mass that drew tens of thousands of people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Cheering, maskless crowds lined Francis’ motorcade route through Sastin, 15 kilometers (about 10 miles) from Slovakia’s western border, and they were rewarded with a slow-moving popemobile jaunt and a smiling, waving Francis as he arrived at the vast field.

Organizers said 45,000 people had preregistered to attend, showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination to receive a barcode that gave them entry to the site. A few thousand non-vaccinated pilgrims were allowed in with proof of a negative test or having been cured of the virus. Hardly anyone in the crowd wore face masks.

The venue was the Our Lady of Sorrows national shrine, Slovakia’s most important one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where St. John Paul II prayed in 1995. Each Sept. 15, pilgrims from Slovakia and beyond flock to Sastin on the feast day of Slovakia’s patron, with some this year spending the night on the dusty field to get a better spot.