Anniversary of Polish independence

The service brought together representatives from different Churches and was prepared by the joint Commission of the Roman Catholic Conference of the Polish Episcopate and the Polish Ecumenical Council. It contained elements of various liturgical traditions; all the texts were read from the Ecumenical Bible. The service was opened by the president of the Polish Ecumenical Council and Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, bishop Jerzy Samiec, together with the chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Ecumenism, bishop Krzysztof Nitkiewicz. Many representatives of various Churches were present, also outside Polish Ecumenical Council.

The sermon was given by bishop Jerzy Samiec who said: “I am convinced that today in Poland we really need those who brings peace. The jubilee of the 100th anniversary of Polish independence should unite us, but unfortunately, it has become another reason for fighting and spreading mutual aversion. There are probably people that deny our right to celebrate and explain that none of us is accepted. Unfortunately, minorities sometimes experience that”.

Speaking of the modern times Bishop Samiec stressed that Poland is the homeland of all Poles regardless of their beliefs or origin. “Poland is a homeland for Catholics, but also for the Orthodox, Lutherans, Reformed, Metodist, Baptists, Pentecostals, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christians. Poland is a homeland for Jews, Muslims and Buddhists. It is a homeland for non-believers, agnostics and atheists. It is a homeland for heterosexual and homosexual people. It is also a homeland for those who has Polish roots and for those who intentionally chose it as their homeland, sometimes a second, but a homeland. I wonder why it is so difficult to accept that truth”. Bishop appealed for the mutual respect.