President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič and his entourage attended the general audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI as part of Slovak bishops and pilgrims arriving in Rome and the Vatican for the National Pilgrimage.
The outgoing pontiff greeted and blessed the Slovak pilgrims in Slovak and thanked them for their prayers and kindness. “I cordially bless you and your families in your homeland,” the pope said in Slovak.

Ivan Gašparovič was the only head of state to attend the last public general audience with Pope Benedict XVI in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican City. At the same time, he was the last president to be received by the outgoing head of the Catholic Church at a private audience.
“I told him that Slovaks send him greetings, they love him and that even unbelievers respect him, because he has done a lot for world peace,” said Ivan Gašparovič. He was also pleased to learn that the Holy Father values Slovaks for their devotion to the faith and presented the pope with a gift – a relief depicting Saint Gorazd and a letter in the name of all the Slovak people.

According to Gašparovič, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his regret that he would no longer be able to visit Slovakia as pope. Last year, the pontiff received an invitation by President Gašparovič, the Conference of Slovak Bishops and Prime Minister Robert Fico to visit Slovakia. The visit was to mark the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius to Slovakia and the 20th anniversary of the split of the former Czechoslovakia, while also providing an opportunity to establish contacts with the Holy See. In this context, the pope expressed his pleasure over the fact that he had a chance to meet the highest official of the Slovak Republic. President Gašparovič told the pope that his resignation should not prevent him from visiting Slovakia. “He received it with a smile. I had a feeling that he holds Slovakia in his heart to a certain extent,” said Gašparovič.

During the private audience, which lasted for about ten minutes, the pope seemed to be relaxed and calm, Gašparovič said.
As part of the National Pilgrimage to Rome President Gašparovič attended a mass celebrated in the Basilica of St. Peter and paid tribute to the memory of the late Blessed Pope John Paul II at his tomb.