DEAR FRIENDS, DEAR CONFRATRES

EACH YEAR THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF MALTA CELEBRATES TODAY THE FEAST OF IT'S PATRON, ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. WE DO IT HERE - IN THIS MILITARY CATHEDRAL WHICH HAS BECOME OVER THE PAST YEARS - IN A SENSE - OUR CHURCH. THIS IS THANKS TO THE GREAT GENEROSITY FIRST OF ARCHBISHOP SLAWOJ LESZEK GŁÓDŹ AND SECONDLY THE UNFORGETTABLE MILITARY BISHOP TADEUSZ PŁOSKI WHO RECEIVED US WITH FRIENDSHIP AND AFFECTION FOR OUR MOST IMPORTANT OCCASIONS. AND SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THIS YEAR TOO.

ON THE MORNING OF 9TH APRIL H.E. BISHOP PŁOSKI RECEIVED ME IN ORDER TO COMMENCE THE PREPARATION OF ST.JOHN'S FEAST. HE CONFIRMED THAT HE WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO CELEBRATE HOLY MASS ON 24th JUNE. WE AGREED TO MEET UPON HIS RETURN TO WARSAW AS HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATION JOURNEYING TO KATYN. SADLY HE DID NOT RETURN ALONG WITH MANY OTHER GREAT FRIENDS OF US INCLUDING HIS SECRETARY, MONSIGNOR JAN OSINSKI, VICE MINISTER OF DEFENCE STANISLAW KOMOROWSKI, VICE MINISTER OF THE PRESIDEN- TIAL CHANCELLERY MARIUSZ HANDZLIK AND DIRECTOR OF DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOL OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MARIUSZ KAZANA - WHO ARE SO SADLY MISSED HERE TODAY.

WE CAN NOT FAIL TO MENTION HERE THE AWFUL TRAGEDY AT SMOLENSK WHERE THE PRESIDENT OF POLAND LECH KACZYNSKI, HIS WIFE MARIA, THE HIGH RANKING STATE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ACCOMPANYING THE PRESIDENT AND ALL THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD OF THE TUPOLEV LOST THEIR LIFE. THE MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE SENT BY H.H. THE PRINCE AND GRAND MASTER ON 10th APRIL 2010 PAID TRIBUTE TO THEM EXPRESSING TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY HIS FEELINGS OF SIMPATHY AND DEEPEST SORROW FOR THEIR TRAGIC DEATH, ASSURING THE POLISH PEOPLE THAT THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ORDER WERE WITH THE NATION AND THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS.

LET US PRAY TODAY ALL TOGETHER FOR THEM.

I WOULD LIKE FINALLY TO THANK WARMLY THE REVEREND VICARIUS GENERAL OF THE MILITARY ORDINARIAT MONSIGNOR SLAWOMIR ZARZKI WHO VERY KINDLY ACCEPTED TO CELEBRATE HOLY MASS TOGETHER WITH MONSIGNOR JOZEF ROMAN MAI AND MONSIGNOR HENRYK BLASZCZIK WHO FOR MANY YEARS BEEN MAGISTRAL CHAPLAINS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE POLISH KNIGHTS. LET US ALSO THANK FOR THEIR PRESENCE THE SENATOR AND MRS ANDRZEJ KAWECKI, THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND MRS JACEK OLBRICHT AS WELL AS COMANDANT OR MON IN HELENOW COLONEL AND MRS JERZY MALEWSKI. WE WARMLY THANK ALL THE AMBASSADORS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS PRESENT, THE POLISH AUTHORITIES AND FRIENDS OF THE ORDER AND OF THE POLISH ASSOCIATION WHO ARE SHARING WITH US THIS IMPORTANT CELEBRATION WHICH IS FIRST OF ALL AN OCCASION OF UNITY OF THE KNIGHTS IN PRAYER.