” “"Slovakia and Poland, which in Eastern Europe are the two countries that bear the richest heritage of Catholic tradition, are currently exposed to the risk of seeing such heritage, that the Communist regime did not manage to destroy, heavily impaired by the typical ferments of the Western societies: consumerism, hedonism, laicism, relativism": it was said this morning by the Pope in the Vatican to the Bishops of the Slovakian Bishops Conference on the occasion of their "visita ad Limina Apostolorum". After recalling that the Slovakian population "in the last century had to suffer heavy distress and persecutions by the Communist totalitarian regime", he mentioned John Paul II’s three pastoral visits, especially the last one, in 2003, the motto of which was "Faithful to Christ, faithful to the Church". "This motto is still a true apostolic and missionary program he added , not just for the Church in Slovakia, but for all of God’s People, as exposed as it is, especially in Europe, to insistent ideological pressure, which would like to confine Christianity to the private sphere only".” “
