Commemoration of 20th anniversary of the death of Father Popiełuszko

He had been a chaplain for the Solidarity movement. Parliament deputies said yesterday that "He boldly defended the ideals of truth, freedom and justice." Sejm speaker Józef Oleksy said: "His life was taken by officers of the communist state's security system, who were stupefied by the propaganda of lies and hatred." The most important celebrations took place in Warsaw's St. Stanisław Kostka church, where Popiełuszko had conducted his famous masses "in the intentions of my homeland" for over 20 years. Nearly 10,000 people from all over the country gathered to pray by his tomb, as his Catholic beatification procedures began some time ago. The solemn mass, conducted by primate Józef Glemp, was preceded by poetry readings and patriotic songs that were once performed during Father Popiełuszko's masses. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3; Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 2, 6) D.W.