2/5 John Paul II in the Polish Parliament (English translation) ; Jan Paweł II w Sejmie - cz.2

The English text - part2:Nowadays, you, actually we have been passed down that heritage of those courageous and ambitious efforts for the sake of the Homeland. It depends on you what quality of freedom and democracy will be observed in Poland. Our meeting here has various symbolic meanings. It has been the first time the Pope has addressed the joint chambers of the Polish parliament, the Polish Pope, in the presence of the executive power, the judicial power and the presence of the diplomatic corps. It's almost impossible not to mention the long, dated from 15th century, history of the Polish parliament as well as that glorious lawgiving wisdom of our ancestors who proclaimed the Constitution of May 3, 1791. Today, right here, somewhat in a peculiar way, we're becoming conscious of the importance of the righteous law within the democratic state, which foundation should always be based on a human in the whole truth, his innate rights and the rights of the community that is called the nation. [applause]I'm fully aware of the fact that being deprived of sovereignty and natural public life through all those years , it is not easy now to build a new democratic order with its institutions. That's why, at the very beginning, I wish to express my joy from our meeting here in the place where the law is introduced upon which the foundation of the new state is built together with its sovereign people. [applause]I'd also like to wish the Polish parliament, while lawgiving, to be always focused on a human and his prosperity according to a classic quotation, "Hominum causa omne ius constitutum est" [applause]- Not that bad with my Latin, isn't it? [laughter]- Just like my generation. [applause]In my New Year's address I have said, "If the preoccupation with the protection of the human dignity is the main rule for us to inspire and if the common good is the main goal of our efforts, strong and solid foundations for peace have been laid. On the other hand, if the human rights are neglected or violated, and if against the justice, the particular interests are above the common good, the seed of imminent chaos, riot and violence is sown. [applause]It has been clearly stated in the Preamble of the Concordat between the Holy See and the Republic of Poland, "The fundamental issue for development of the free democratic people is the respect for a human being and his rights". The Church in Poland during post war rules of a totalitarian system often stood up for human rights and the rights of the nation. [applause]Also now, in democracy, it wishes to contribute to public life and its law order built upon strong ethic foundations. The thing that is useful here is the upbringing to responsibility while using freedom both by an individual and by the whole nation; and, if need be, the warning against any threats that may be caused by downgrading tendencies, against downgrading visions of a man and his dignity. This belongs to an evangelical mission of the Church. Doing this, it makes its specific contribution to the issue of the protection of democracy at its roots. The place we're in lead us into a profound reflection about the responsibility for the regained freedom and the need for collaboration for the sake of the common good. We should bare in mind numerous heroic efforts of the Polish people within the last two centuries to regain its own sovereign state, which for many generations of our compatriots was only in dreams, passed down in family stories and prayers. First of all, I think about the period of Poland's Annexations followed by the struggle to regain the independence for the country that was wiped out from the map of Europe.The lack of that most basic political structure, necessary for the life of the nation especially during the last world war, was so horrendous that when the biological existence of the nation became mortally endangered, it contributed to creating the Underground State that was unprecedented in the whole of Europe.Before I came here, I had consecrated the memorial to the Underground State and its Home Army. [applause]