National Temple of Divine Providence
Encyclopedia
The Temple of Divine Providence , under construction in southern Warsaw
's Wilanów
district, will be one the most important Roman Catholic
buildings in Poland
. The story of its construction began over 200 years ago. Since then, due to historic circumstances, Poles
had been unable to complete a votive church to Divine Providence
.
The Temple is meant to be a national and religious symbol for Poland. The Divine Providence complex comprises a Church of Divine Providence, a Museum to Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, and a Pantheon of Great Poles.
The Center of Divine Providence commemorates Poland as a Roman Catholic country and links providential events in Poland's history over the past 200 years with their putative Divine inspiration: the Constitution of May 3, 1791
; the 1918 rebirth of independent Poland
; the 1920 "Miracle at the Vistula"
; the August 1980 founding of the Solidarity movement; the next resumption of independence
, in 1989; and the pastoral ministry of Stefan Wyszynski and the pontificate of Pope John Paul II
. The shrine will be a votive church for 1,000 years of Poland's Christianity
, and a temple of national remembrance.
The idea of constructing a National Temple of Divine Providence goes back to the times of Stanisław August Poniatowski's reign. Two days after the Four-Year Sejm
had passed the 3 May Constitution, on 5 May 1791, the members and the king made a commitment of thanksgiving to erect a church ‘ex voto of all states ... dedicated to the highest Providence.’ It was to be an expression of thanksgiving to ‘the Highest Ruler of the fate of nations’ for the adoption of the constitution.
The celebration of laying the cornerstone of the planned shrine in Ujazdów
was held exactly on the first anniversary of the constitution. It was King Stanisław August and the last Primate
of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Archbishop Michał Jerzy Poniatowski that began the construction of the shrine. The monarch also accepted the project of his royal architect Jakub Kubicki. The Temple was to be built in the classicist style on the plan of a Greek cross. Unfortunately, the Russia
n army attacked Poland which made the construction impossible. Three years later Poland disappeared from the maps of Europe. Only a small ruined chapel
has survived and it can be seen in the Botanical Garden
in Agrykola (Ujazdów).
had regained independence in 1918 the Sejm
of the restored Second Polish Republic
passed an act
to build the shrine on 17 March 1921. The Parliament decided that the state would cover the cost of the construction, which was to be 15 million old zlotys. The budget was also to finance a perpetual scholarship to order Masses celebrated in the intention of the Homeland and for the souls of all Poles who died for the country. However, the financial difficulties and first of all the inflation did not allow the young state to bear such costs. It was the Committee on Commemorating Marshal
Pilsudski
, created after his death, chaired by President Ignacy Moscicki
, that decided to realize that work. The Shrine of Divine Providence
was to be built in the fields of Mokotów
. The Committee announced a tender and chose a Bohdan Pniewski project: a building of the constructivist style
with a tower that would resemble the skyscrapers in New York. Unfortunately, the date to begin the construction was constantly postponed. Finally, it was settled in 1939, Poland’s very tragic year (invasion of Poland by Germany
and Soviet Union
- start of World War II).
people remembered the commitment. The faithful reminded Primate
August Hlond and then Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski of the idea.
Favorable conditions occurred at the turning point, in 1989 when Poland regained independence. And it seemed that it was the right time to thank Divine Providence and the nation
was going to construct the Temple that had been promised by the ancestors. The Primate
of Poland Cardinal
Jozef Glemp revived the idea of the shrine towards the late 1990s. Furthermore, the Sejm
on 23 October 1998 adopted, by a decisive majority, an act
to construct the National Temple of Divine Providence. The resolution said that ‘the Sejm
of the Third Republic of Poland
thinks that the vows the Polish nation made 200 years ago should be fulfilled’ and the shrine would be ‘a votive church of the nation for the Constitution of 3 May, the regained independence in 1989, for twenty years of John Paul II’s pontificate and two thousand years of Christianity.’
John Paul II also supported the construction of the Temple wholeheartedly. In his pilgrimage to Poland in 1999, during the celebration in Pilsudski Square
, he blessed the cornerstone, which was embedded exactly at the place of the future altar. ‘May this shrine become a place of special thanksgiving for freedom of the Homeland. I pray that no painful experience would disturb this thanksgiving for which we have waited 200 years’, the Holy Father
said. The Pope supported the construction by his prayers and financial help. John Paul II is one of its most generous sponsors. The shrine, which is being constructed in Wilanów
(the end of the historic Royal Route
), will also be a national thanksgiving for the pontificate of the Holy Father
.
In January 2002, the Primate
chose the final project of the shrine by the architects’ team directed by Wojciech and Lech Szymborski. Planned total costs of around 40 million euros. This sum has been met to a large extent through private donations and co-financed by a state budget. The building is based on a 84 m x 84 m base area in the form of a Greek cross – a cross with four equal length arms, with four gates, a dome and a cross. After completion, the building will have an overall height of around 75 metres. 26 columns are arranged in a circle to form the nave of the church which has a 68 m diameter. In November 2002, Cardinal
Glemp began the construction by making a symbolic gesture; he dug with a spade next to the cornerstone.
will house a multi-media museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II and to Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The museum, which is so important to Polish historic memory, will be placed in the non-sacred part of Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw
. The centre for documenting the Polish Pope’s pontificate and the pastoral ministry of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński will be in the modern museum. The cultural centre will catalogue the collections and preserve them as well as conducting research. The museum will show the activities of John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and will show the close relationship between those two great Poles, a relationship John Paul II himself referred to many times. He said that there would be no Polish Pope without the faith of the Primate of the Millennium. Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz
would like this multi-media museum to follow the model of the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising that draws many young people. The Centre of Divine Providence will combine the sacred and cultural-patriotic-historic realities. It will show the substantial contribution of the Church to the history of the Polish Nation.
in Warsaw
. The Pantheon is a funeral site for important Poles. A symbolic tomb
for Pope John Paul II (a replication of the tomb from St. Peter's Basilica
) is placed in the Pantheon.
Inside the crypt for the honoured are buried:
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
's Wilanów
Wilanów
Wilanów is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland. It is home to historic Wilanów Palace, the "Polish Versailles," and second home to various Polish kings.-History:...
district, will be one the most important Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
buildings in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The story of its construction began over 200 years ago. Since then, due to historic circumstances, Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
had been unable to complete a votive church to Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
.
The Temple is meant to be a national and religious symbol for Poland. The Divine Providence complex comprises a Church of Divine Providence, a Museum to Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, and a Pantheon of Great Poles.
The Center of Divine Providence commemorates Poland as a Roman Catholic country and links providential events in Poland's history over the past 200 years with their putative Divine inspiration: the Constitution of May 3, 1791
Constitution of May 3, 1791
The Constitution of May 3, 1791 was adopted as a "Government Act" on that date by the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Historian Norman Davies calls it "the first constitution of its type in Europe"; other scholars also refer to it as the world's second oldest constitution...
; the 1918 rebirth of independent Poland
Polish Independence Day
National Independence Day is a public holiday in Poland celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the anniversary of Poland's assumption of independent statehood in 1918 after 123 years of partition by Russia, Prussia and Austria....
; the 1920 "Miracle at the Vistula"
Battle of Warsaw (1920)
The Battle of Warsaw sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, was the decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War. That war began soon after the end of World War I in 1918 and lasted until the Treaty of Riga resulted in the end of the hostilities between Poland and Russia in 1921.The...
; the August 1980 founding of the Solidarity movement; the next resumption of independence
Polish Round Table Agreement
The Polish Round Table Talks took place in Warsaw, Poland from February 6 to April 4, 1989. The government initiated the discussion with the banned trade union Solidarność and other opposition groups in an attempt to defuse growing social unrest.-History:...
, in 1989; and the pastoral ministry of Stefan Wyszynski and the pontificate of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. The shrine will be a votive church for 1,000 years of Poland's Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and a temple of national remembrance.
First Polish Republic
Great Sejm
The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm was a Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in Warsaw, beginning in 1788...
had passed the 3 May Constitution, on 5 May 1791, the members and the king made a commitment of thanksgiving to erect a church ‘ex voto of all states ... dedicated to the highest Providence.’ It was to be an expression of thanksgiving to ‘the Highest Ruler of the fate of nations’ for the adoption of the constitution.
The celebration of laying the cornerstone of the planned shrine in Ujazdów
Ujazdów
Ujazdów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Ujazdów Castle in Warsaw*Ujazdów Park in Warsaw*Ujazdów, Włodawa County in Lublin Voivodeship *Ujazdów, Zamość County in Lublin Voivodeship...
was held exactly on the first anniversary of the constitution. It was King Stanisław August and the last Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
Archbishop Michał Jerzy Poniatowski that began the construction of the shrine. The monarch also accepted the project of his royal architect Jakub Kubicki. The Temple was to be built in the classicist style on the plan of a Greek cross. Unfortunately, the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n army attacked Poland which made the construction impossible. Three years later Poland disappeared from the maps of Europe. Only a small ruined chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
has survived and it can be seen in the Botanical Garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
in Agrykola (Ujazdów).
Second Polish Republic
After PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
had regained independence in 1918 the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
of the restored Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
passed an act
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
to build the shrine on 17 March 1921. The Parliament decided that the state would cover the cost of the construction, which was to be 15 million old zlotys. The budget was also to finance a perpetual scholarship to order Masses celebrated in the intention of the Homeland and for the souls of all Poles who died for the country. However, the financial difficulties and first of all the inflation did not allow the young state to bear such costs. It was the Committee on Commemorating Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
Pilsudski
Józef Pilsudski
Józef Klemens Piłsudski was a Polish statesman—Chief of State , "First Marshal" , and authoritarian leader of the Second Polish Republic. From mid-World War I he had a major influence in Poland's politics, and was an important figure on the European political scene...
, created after his death, chaired by President Ignacy Moscicki
Ignacy Moscicki
Ignacy Mościcki was a Polish chemist, politician, and President of Poland . He was the longest-serving President of Poland .-Life:...
, that decided to realize that work. The Shrine of Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
was to be built in the fields of Mokotów
Mokotów
Mokotów is a dzielnica of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Mokotów is densely populated. It is a seat to many foreign embassies and companies...
. The Committee announced a tender and chose a Bohdan Pniewski project: a building of the constructivist style
Constructivist architecture
Constructivist architecture was a form of modern architecture that flourished in the Soviet Union in the 1920s and early 1930s. It combined advanced technology and engineering with an avowedly Communist social purpose. Although it was divided into several competing factions, the movement produced...
with a tower that would resemble the skyscrapers in New York. Unfortunately, the date to begin the construction was constantly postponed. Finally, it was settled in 1939, Poland’s very tragic year (invasion of Poland by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
- start of World War II).
Third Polish Republic
The war and the communist regime, which was imposed in Poland, did not allow the plans of the construction to be realised within the next 60 years. However, during the times of the Polish People’s RepublicPeople's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
people remembered the commitment. The faithful reminded Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
August Hlond and then Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski of the idea.
Favorable conditions occurred at the turning point, in 1989 when Poland regained independence. And it seemed that it was the right time to thank Divine Providence and the nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
was going to construct the Temple that had been promised by the ancestors. The Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of Poland Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Jozef Glemp revived the idea of the shrine towards the late 1990s. Furthermore, the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
on 23 October 1998 adopted, by a decisive majority, an act
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
to construct the National Temple of Divine Providence. The resolution said that ‘the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
of the Third Republic of Poland
History of Poland (1989–present)
In 1989-1991, Poland engaged in a democratic transition which put an end to the Polish People's Republic and led to a democratic regime, called Polish Third Republic...
thinks that the vows the Polish nation made 200 years ago should be fulfilled’ and the shrine would be ‘a votive church of the nation for the Constitution of 3 May, the regained independence in 1989, for twenty years of John Paul II’s pontificate and two thousand years of Christianity.’
John Paul II also supported the construction of the Temple wholeheartedly. In his pilgrimage to Poland in 1999, during the celebration in Pilsudski Square
Pilsudski Square
Piłsudski Square is Warsaw's largest square, located in Warsaw city centre, Poland. The Square is named for Marshal Józef Piłsudski, who was instrumental in the restoration of Polish statehood after World War I.-Name:...
, he blessed the cornerstone, which was embedded exactly at the place of the future altar. ‘May this shrine become a place of special thanksgiving for freedom of the Homeland. I pray that no painful experience would disturb this thanksgiving for which we have waited 200 years’, the Holy Father
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
said. The Pope supported the construction by his prayers and financial help. John Paul II is one of its most generous sponsors. The shrine, which is being constructed in Wilanów
Wilanów
Wilanów is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland. It is home to historic Wilanów Palace, the "Polish Versailles," and second home to various Polish kings.-History:...
(the end of the historic Royal Route
Royal Route, Warsaw
The Royal Route in Warsaw, Poland, is a former communication route that led southward from the city's Old Town. It now comprises a series of connecting Warsaw streets that feature a number of historic landmarks....
), will also be a national thanksgiving for the pontificate of the Holy Father
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
In January 2002, the Primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
chose the final project of the shrine by the architects’ team directed by Wojciech and Lech Szymborski. Planned total costs of around 40 million euros. This sum has been met to a large extent through private donations and co-financed by a state budget. The building is based on a 84 m x 84 m base area in the form of a Greek cross – a cross with four equal length arms, with four gates, a dome and a cross. After completion, the building will have an overall height of around 75 metres. 26 columns are arranged in a circle to form the nave of the church which has a 68 m diameter. In November 2002, Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Glemp began the construction by making a symbolic gesture; he dug with a spade next to the cornerstone.
Museum of John Paul II and Cardinal Wyszyński
The complex of Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
will house a multi-media museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II and to Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The museum, which is so important to Polish historic memory, will be placed in the non-sacred part of Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. The centre for documenting the Polish Pope’s pontificate and the pastoral ministry of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński will be in the modern museum. The cultural centre will catalogue the collections and preserve them as well as conducting research. The museum will show the activities of John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and will show the close relationship between those two great Poles, a relationship John Paul II himself referred to many times. He said that there would be no Polish Pope without the faith of the Primate of the Millennium. Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz
Kazimierz Nycz
Kazimierz Nycz is a Polish prelate, a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Cardinal Archbishop of Warsaw, having previously served as Bishop of Koszalin-Kołobrzeg from 2004 to 2007. Pope Benedict XVI elevated Archbishop Nycz to the status of Cardinal in the consistory of 20...
would like this multi-media museum to follow the model of the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising that draws many young people. The Centre of Divine Providence will combine the sacred and cultural-patriotic-historic realities. It will show the substantial contribution of the Church to the history of the Polish Nation.
Pantheon of great Poles
The Pantheon of Great Poles is an underground part of the Temple of Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. The Pantheon is a funeral site for important Poles. A symbolic tomb
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
for Pope John Paul II (a replication of the tomb from St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
) is placed in the Pantheon.
Inside the crypt for the honoured are buried:
- Jan TwardowskiJan TwardowskiJan Jakub Twardowski was a famous Polish poet, but, as he said of himself, he was a priest first of all. He was a chief Polish representative of contemporary religious lyrics. He wrote short, simple poems, humorous, sometimes with colloquialisms...
(June 1, 1915 – January 18, 2006) a famous Polish poet, representative of contemporary religious lyrics. - Zdzisław Peszkowski (August 23, 1918 – October 8, 2007) a chaplainChaplainTraditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
for the Katyń Families Association, and the Murdered in the East, and a prisoner in Kozielsk. - Krzysztof SkubiszewskiKrzysztof SkubiszewskiKrzysztof Skubiszewski was a Polish politician, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and an established scholar in the field of international law.Skubiszewski was born in Poznań...
(8 October 1926 – 8 February 2010) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1989–1993) and an established scholar in the field of international law. - Ryszard KaczorowskiRyszard KaczorowskiRyszard Kaczorowski was a Polish statesman. Between 1989 and 1990 he served as the last President of Poland in exile. He succeeded Kazimierz Sabbat and resigned his post following Poland's regaining independence from the Soviet sphere of influence and election of Lech Wałęsa as the first ...
(26 November 1919 – 10 April 2010) last President of Poland in exile (1989–1990).
See also
- Places of worship in WarsawPlaces of worship in WarsawThis article is a list of places of worship in Warsaw, Poland, both current and historical. It includes Catholic, Uniate, Protestant and Orthodox churches, as well as synagogues and shrines of other denominations. Note that the list includes also places of worship that were destroyed some time in...