Vatican News / Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, Fr. Łukasz Bankowski – Vatican City
Giving thanks for years of service
Family, friends, women religious, priests serving daily in Rome and the Vatican, and Poles living in the capital of Italy gathered during the Eucharist to give thanks for four years of diplomatic service by Adam Kwiatkowski at the Holy See.
The homily was delivered by Bishop Marek Marczak, Secretary General of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. Referring to the biblical image of the vineyard, he pointed out that the Kingdom of God requires care, work, and a readiness to bear fruit. This applies to every person, regardless of the position they hold or the function they perform.
“In the Church, this is called service”
Addressing the ambassador directly, Bishop Marczak spoke of gratitude for “such a spirit – of giving oneself for the sake of others.” He pointed to his work in building “good and increasingly better relations between the Republic of Poland and the Holy See.”
“In the hearts of everyone present here is gratitude to God for your work, which in the Church is simply called ministry and service,” said the Secretary General of the Polish Bishops’ Conference.
The point of reference for service understood in this way – he pointed out – is Christ, who “emptied himself” and gave his life for others. Therefore, regardless of whether someone is an ambassador, bishop, priest, consecrated person, or layperson, the same question remains: “What am I giving of myself to others?”
“Does my life revolve around offering myself to others, or quite the opposite: am I a god and is everything due to me because I am who I am, and I hold the position I hold?” Bishop Marczak asked.
Ambassador Kwiatkowski: We have created a beautiful community
After the Eucharist, the gathering continued in the Paul VI Hall [Aula Jana Pawła II]. In his speech, the ambassador emphasized that the fruits of his mission were made possible thanks to the cooperation of many people. He thanked Polish cardinals, bishops, priests, consecrated persons, and laypeople working in the Secretariat of State and the Roman Curia.
“Had it not been for your advice and help, we would not have been able to achieve so much during these past four years spent here in the Vatican and Rome,” he said.
He particularly thanked the Polish community in the Eternal City for their daily presence and prayer.
“We thank you for your prayerful support, for the fact that we have created a beautiful community. A community proud of our Polish and Christian roots,” Ambassador Kwiatkowski said.
As he emphasized, the concluding diplomatic mission does not put an end to the relations built in Rome: “I am convinced that further initiatives that we will carry out together still lie ahead of us.”
More than formal diplomacy
Fr. Zenon Hanas SAC, Superior General of the Pallottines, drew attention primarily to the relationships that were successfully built during the concluding mission.
“We managed to build so many beautiful relationships, such deep bonds that are not just formal diplomacy, but friendship,” he said.
He also thanked the ambassador for the openness of the Polish diplomatic post and its cooperation with the community of Polish clergy and consecrated persons in Rome.
