Your Holiness,
In one of your poems you ask: "Can history flow against
the current of conscience?" It is obvious what you meant
by this question: History cannot flow against the current of conscience
forever. You were right, as were those who did not lose hope.
In our country as in the countries of many of our neighbors and
brothers history flowed against the current of conscience for
a long time. But that could not go on forever. That is the reason
I have the great honor to welcome you in this ancient seat of
Bohemian kings and later of Czechoslovak presidents.
I welcome you here, first and foremost, as the head of
the Catholic Church and I rejoice, together with all Catholics,
that you have accepted our invitation.
I welcome you as a Christian, whose coming is hailed not
only by Catholics but by all Christians. Not only that: I am strongly
convinced that all people of good will, will join in the joy that
Christians feel over your coming.
I also welcome you here, Your Holiness, as a Slav who
understands our language and who speaks it; I welcome you as a
great son of the fraternal Polish nation.
And perhaps because you also personally experienced the
inhuman character of a totalitarian system, you have linked your
papacy with the idea of human rights. Our struggle for freedom
also stemmed from this great idea, and our present policy avows
it. I welcome you here, therefore, also as our teacher and fellow
fighter, one who appreciates the value of peace, tolerance, freedom
and respect of man for man.
Last but not least, I welcome you as a writer, an intellectual,
an educated man of culture. Our revolution has a clearly cultural
dimension and a cultural aspect that I am sure you feel close
to, as I do. I am glad, therefore, that you have found time to
meet here today with representatives from Czech and Slovak cultural
and educational life.
And finally, I welcome you here if you will permit me
simply as a good man.
You have come at a time when our country is preparing
for the first free elections in several decades. It is more than
understandable that the free space that has opened in front of
us so quickly gives rise in all of us after so many years of
oppression and humiliation to a natural aspiration for selfrealization
combined with an unlimited number of more dubious properties,
such as personal ambition, lust for power, vanity and jealous
rivalries. Many of us have quickly forgotten what united us only
several months ago, namely the public interest, the interest of
the country, an interest that exceeds all personal, group and
particular objectives. I strongly believe that your visit will
remind us all of the genuine source of real human responsibility,
its metaphysical source. I strongly believe that your visit will
remind us of what we need so much to be reminded of today: the
absolute horizon to which we must refer, that mysterious memory
of Being in which each of our acts is recorded and in which and
through which they finally acquire their true value. I strongly
believe that face to face with Your Holiness, we shall realize
that above our earthly world of daytoday toil there is something
which from time immemorial has been called heaven.
More and more people are realizing that the future of
the human race on this earth rests increasingly in the hands of
those who manage to not think of themselves alone, who act with
regard for others. Yes, the future of humankind rests today with
the civilization of spirit, responsibility and love. All that
we know about you indicates that your charisma will remind us
exactly of that. You may not even realize how strongly we need
such a reminder in these dramatic days.
History in our country ceased to flow against the current
of conscience. Let us not allow it be it under whatever banner
to flow that way again.
I welcome you, Holy Father, among us sinners.