Pope Francis not to attend Velehrad celebrations

Pope Francis will not attend July’s celebrations of the 1150th jubilee of Saints Cyril and Methodius at Velehrad, south Moravia, though he will send an envoy in his stead, the Vatican said on Friday. The chosen legate is reported to be Archbishop Josip Bosanovic. The celebrations at the pilgrimage site of Velehrad will mark the saints’ arrival in the Great Moravian Empire in 863. Ss Cyril and Methodius came from Thessaloniki to spread the Christian faith and lay the foundations of written culture.