Jaroslaw Kaczynski (left) with President Komorowski in Lodz; photo PAP

During today’s funeral mass of the Law and Justice political assistant who was murdered in Lodz last Tuesday, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said that Marek Rosiak sacrificed his life for him.

“Marek Rosiak died for me, he died so that I could continue my work and serve the country the best I can,” the Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said during the funeral ceremony in Lodz Cathedral.

“Marek died because hatred was directed towards one political party and towards its leader,” Kaczynski added solemnly.

“This death is a serious and desperate warning for politicians and the media in Poland. Hatred wakes demons and it can turn into a ruthless executioner,” said Bishop Adam Lepa during the requiem mass.

During his sermon, the bishop called for radical changes in Polish politics. “A political war in Poland is devastating and it discredits the country on the international stage,” said Bishop Lepa.

“It is not a coincidence that Marek Rosiak was murdered on 19th October, the same day as priest Jerzy Popieluszko [Solidarity chaplain],” continued the Bishop, hinting at Popieluszko being a victim of the communist regime who sacrificed his life for a free and democratic Poland.

During the mass President Bronislaw Komorowski posthumously awarded Marek Rosiak with the Order of Polonia Restituta. Apart from the President and the Law and Justice leader, a huge number of prominent politicians from different parties, MPs, senators and residents of Lodz participated in the mass.

The so-called “Defenders of the Cross,” a social group in favour of restoring the cross in memory of the late president Lech Kaczynski in front of the Presidential Palace, also gathered outside the Cathedral.

“We barely recovered from one tragedy and we already have another one,” said one of the Defenders.

After the ceremony the funeral procession marched through the streets of Lodz, passing the Law and Justice office where Rosiak was killed, and stopped at the Old Cemetery, where the Law and Justice political assistant was buried.

Marek Rosiak was shot dead by Ryszard C., a taxi driver who burst into the parliamentary office wielding a gun and knife screaming “Kill Kaczynski”, referring to the leader of the party. After shooting Rosiak the man stabbed another worker before being accosted by police. (mg/jb)

Sources: IAR/PAP