So far as I am aware, no country in the modern era (or ever?) has immediately lost so many leaders during peace time. I am told that even in World War II, Poland’s loss of key leaders was not so horrific.
The Big Picture:
On the morning of Saturday, April 10th, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and 94 other members of Poland’s government and clergy were on a flight to Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre. Their airplane, a Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M, crashed in apparently heavy fog, clipping an antenna and breaking apart in a forest less than a mile from the airfield, killing all passengers and crew.
Would you click through, take a look at these pictures, and pray for Poland?
Click here to see more.
**************
The below email comes directly from Poland from someone who is close to a family in our church.
You maybe already heard of crane crush that carried top Polish officials to Katyn in Russia. According to media, it’s the biggest such drama in global history during peace time; in that crush died 96 people, including over 40 officials:
· The President and his wife
· Top representatives of the President’s cabinet, including head of National Security Office
· Top representatives of the Parlament (close to 5% of lower and upper house), including two deputies of parliament speaker
· Top representatives of Prime Minister’s office, including deputy of foreign minister
· Top representatives of other government institutions, including the head of the National Bank of Poland
· ALL senior military chiefs of Polish Army (even during II World War the army didn’t suffer such loss as yesterday), including the chief of defense and chiefs of all services
It’s a true political and military earthquake – people are even more shock that during the death of the Pope 5 years ago; since yestardy a few hundred thousand people came by the Presidential Palace in Warsaw to light a candle and pay tribune plus everyone is gathering in churches all over Poland.
Although our constitution takes into account death of top representatives and their succession, death of such many at one time is a nightmare – so far the government works; my god that on that plane was not present the prime minister (who went to Katyn two days earlier and parliament speaker – then truly we would have constitutional nightmare
the Parliament speaker is acting president as of yesterday (in Poland we don’t have vice president since we have Prime minister office) and new elections will be held by the end of June (the presidential elections where planned in October but now it has changed – the current president was planning to run again for the office but he had very little public support and no chance for re-election)
The officials were going to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish military officers during II World War by Russians (they murdered over 20 thousands of them as part of the plan to eliminate Polish elite as the preparation for the occupation after the war – which ended in 1991); Russia for decades cover-up this crime blaming for it the Nazi – this anniversary was the most important so far since for the first time Russians officials (Prime Minister Putin) was present during the official ceremony. By the way, the Katyn massacre was suppressed also by the British and USA during the war and after it (the USA where afraid that telling the truth about the Soviets will break the coalition which was needed to defeat Japan – in the 1950’s there was Congress investigation which proved that Roosevelt suppressed all reports about Katyn; the same holds true for the Brits who not only suppressed the truth but also until the 1970’s where blocking Polish emigrants in Britain in building there memorial of Katyn)
The good thing (if there could be any of such drama) is that politicians from all parties united (we already had brutal presidential campaign); also, so far it shows that this drama which happened in Russia may bring Poland and Russia together.
We are leaving now to the Presidential Palace to light a candle…
