Tygodnik Polski 16-17/2010

W najnowszym numerze Tygodnika Polskiego przeczytacie Państwo m.in.: Polonia w Hołdzie Ofiarom Tragedii, Polonia Pays Homage to Victims of Tragedy, Obituary: Lech Kaczynski, Full text of Lech Kaczynski’s Katyn speech, President Ryszard Kaczorowski (1919-2010) We assumed an assisting and subordinate role, Przeklęta Ziemia. Prosimy o komentarze do artykułów. Listy i e-maile do redakcji Tygodnika Polskiego prosimy kierować na adres widoczny po prawej stronie.

Zapraszamy do punktów sprzedaży w całej metropolii Detroit. Zachęcamy także do kupna elektronicznej wersji Tygodnika Polskiego (plik w formacie PDF – do czytania na komputerze, czytniku książek elektronicznych, telefonie komórkowym).

 

Od redaktora

Podczas tego tragicznego tygodnia, czas odmierzaliśmy napływającymi informacjami. Trudno było normalnie funkcjonować – telefony, wysyłane SMS, rozmowy, pytania dzieci, znajomych i amerykańskich sąsiadów. Przede wszystkim słowa współczucia, ale i pytania, które czasami tak bardzo zaskakiwały: powiedz nam więcej o Katyniu, dlaczego, dla was Polaków jest tak ważny? Dlaczego tłumy Polaków wyszły na ulice? Tłumaczyłam, uchylałam rąbka naszej historii, ale nie próbowałam analizować i odpowiadać na pytanie: dlaczego to wszystko się wydarzyło?

Wiem, że miliony ludzi, które gromadziły się, czy to przed Belwederem, czy na ulicach i placach, palące się znicze, rzucane kwiaty i wykrzyczane z serca slowa: “Lech Kaczyński. Dziękujemy”. Odruchy dobra, które Bóg w każdym z nas zasiał. Było to wielkie świadectwo wiary i nadziei.

Słyszę wypowiedziane słowa arcybiskupa Detroit Allen, a H. Vigneron w homilii podczas Mszy św. żałobnej w Orchard Lake:

Polska dzisiaj daje świadectwo PRAWDY.

Hasło Bóg, Honor i Ojczyzna okazało się znowu dla nas ważne. Polacy po raz kolejny w historii narodu zapisali, że poszukiwanie Prawdy jest dla nich ważne, a człowiek z zasadami, który żyje w zgodzie ze samym sobą jest dla nich wzorem.

“Po raz pierwszy w Rzeczypospolitej chowaliśmy tak dobrego człowieka – nie tylko prezydenta, ale przede wszystkim człowieka – dobrego, wierzącego, katolika. To było historyczne wydarzenie, które będą pamiętać całe pokolenia” – powiedział uczestnik uroczystości pogrzebowych w Krakowie.

W narodzie polskim ponownie zapanowała solidarność, wydawało się, że wszystkie polskie serca biją w tym samym rytmie. Śledząc przebieg wydarzeń w Polsce, choć przez szklane okienko, czuło się, że Polacy mają dość obłudy i wyreżyserowanych przez media opinii. Jak bardzo uderzyły słowa Janusza Śniadka, szefa NSZZ, wypowiedziane podczas mszy św. pogrzebowej Lecha i Marii Kaczyńskich w Bazylice Mariackiej:

Lech Kaczyński jak nikt dochował wierności wartościom Solidarności. Z dumą będziemy o nim mówić: człowiek Solidarności . (-) Solidarność upomniała się o wolność, o sprawiedliwość społeczną i o obecność krzyża w życiu publicznym. Tym wartościom dochowałeś wierności jak nikt. (-) Płaczemy, bo byłeś dobrym człowiekiem …


I jeszcze te słowa, które szczególnie pragnę przypomnieć:

“Drodzy przyjaciele z całego świata, proszę was, powiedzcie wszystkim, jak Lech Kaczyński kochał prawdę, jak o nią walczył, powiedzcie o tych tłumach w Warszawie i pod Wawelem”.

Alicja Karlic

Observations

It is difficult to express the feeling of sadness caused by the tragic loss of so many luminaries of Poland in the Smolensk plane crash of April 10th. What is heartening is the pride we all can feel at the way Poland, its government and its people are coping with the tragedy. As you read this issue of the Polish Weekly, you will find that there is no great upheaval, no military coup, no grab for power, and no report of widespread opportunism on the occasion of such a vacuum in the higher levels of government and social organizations. Direct your attention to the item on page 10: “Transitions, the unlikely triumph of Polish democracy,” which we have obtained permission to publish this week in our pages. The authors emphasize the importance of voluntary, peaceful transitions of power and the strength of institutions within the Polish government that have allowed the nation to continue functioning in the face of the Smolensk tragedy.

Another hopeful aspect of the repercussions of the plane crash is the apparent propensity to enhance the improvement in Polish – Russian relations. At several points in this issue’s content there are remarks on the irony of the fact that the Smolensk crash took the lives of some of the best of Poland’s leadership while they were en route to a ceremony to commemorate the Katyn massacre, which was another event involving the destruction of Polish leadership. The recent event was an accident while Katyn was a deliberate war crime, but the coincidence is eerie. The immediate reaction from Russia has been one of sympathy and empathy, and I can’t help but think that the consequences of the accident will do more for the possibility of better long term relations between the two countries than might have resulted if the Katyn commemoration ceremonies had taken place as planned without the fatal crash. Who knows?

As always, we must remember the tragic past, be it Katyn or the plane crash, but focus on the future, and work to make it a brighter future in honor of those who have given their lives, in one way or another.

On Behalf Of White House Press Office

On Behalf Of White House Press Office

Saturday, April 17

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced at 2:52 p.m. that the President’s trip to Poland has been cancelled due to the conditions caused by volcanic ash in Iceland.

He said President Obama called Acting President Komorowski to express his continued condolences and inform him of the announcement.

The president’s statement:

“I spoke with acting President Komorowski and told him that I regret that I will not be able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe. Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy.
President Kaczynski was a patriot and close friend and ally of the United States, as were those who died alongside him, and the American people will never forget the lives they led.”

The United States will be represented instead by our Ambassador to Poland.

The decision means that Obama will join the hundreds of thousands of travelers around the world stranded by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
The president has been scheduled to leave Saturday night for Krakow for the state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and First Lady
Maria Kaczynska, who were killed along with dozens of other Polish leaders April 10 when their plane crashed in a dense fog on a trip to Russia to acknowledge the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, when the Soviets executed about 22,000 Poles.

The White House decision came amid a global bottleneck in international air travel. Reports on Saturday indicated that nations around Europe were forced to shut down airports.

Kevin Diaz

Washington Correspondent
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Candice Miller: We All Mourn With the People of Poland For the Loss of Their Leaders

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) delivered the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in remembrance of the Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the 96 other prominent political and military leaders who perished:

“Madame Speaker, this past Saturday, April 10, 2010, the people of Poland suffered an unspeakable tragedy, the world lost a great leader and the United States lost a true friend with the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and much of the Polish leadership in a plane crash in Russia.

“President Kaczynski was a staunch supporter of freedom, and early in his life was a leader in the fight against Communism. As a lawyer in Gdansk, he became an advisor to the Solidarity movement in the late 1970’s. During martial law in 1981, he was jailed because the government thought he was an anti-socialist element.

“When Poland shed the yoke of communism, Lech Kaczynski continued to serve Poland until his death. He served as a Senator. As the Vice Chair of Solidarity. As a member of Parliament. As the Mayor of Warsaw. As the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. And finally, as President of Poland for the last five years.

“He was a true friend of America. He fought corruption because he believed it was an impediment to justice and freedom.

“We all mourn with the people Poland at the loss of this true Polish patriot. May our great friend rest in peace.”

Kondolencje

Kondolencje Rodzinom i najbliższym ofiar Tragedii w Smoleńsku można złożyć w Amerykańsko Polskim Centrum Kulturalnym w Troy. Księga kondolencyjna będzie dostępna do piątku 16 kwietnia.

Poland in grief

It is with the deepest sense of grief that we learned, in the morning hours of April 10th 2010, about one of the most terrible tragedies in the history of Poland. On the way to the commemoration ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre, the President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczynski was killed in a plane crash along with the First Lady Maria Kaczynska, the representatives of the country’s highest authorities, high-level military and civilian leaders, official delegation and all the crew.

Due to this air crash tragedy the duties of the Head of State has been temporarily assumed by the Speaker of the Sejm Bronislaw Komorowski who has declared the national mourning in Poland from 10th to 16th of April, 2010.

The Book of Condolences will be displayed at the Consulate General of Poland in New York, located at: 233 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016 on the following days:

- Monday-Tuesday (April 12-13th) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Wednesday (April 14th) from 12:00-6:00 PM
- Thursday and Friday (15-16th) from 2:00 to 6:00 PM

We would like to offer our deepest sympathies to friends and families of the victims.