Father Adam Boniecki with the Special Award of the Jan Karski Eagle

– Jan Karski, a war courier of the Republic of Poland in exile, a witness to the Holocaust, awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations for his courageous and moving intervention in the case of Jews tormented and murdered in Warsaw, established in 2000, at the end of his life, the Eagle Award, which is to be awarded to those who “can worry about Poland with dignity,” said Prof. Szostek in his laudation for Father Adam Boniecki, laureate of the Jan Karski Eagle Award.

– This concern about Poland can take various forms. Father Adam Boniecki has been showing it for years by supporting Poles with his wisdom in building a community of fellow men: people who are open to each other, trying to understand and communicate, feeling responsible for each other, and in the case of Christians: responsible for their faith. Through this, he has become a great moral authority. With his cheerfulness, constant encouragement to think and talk, the style of this conversation, and finally his distance to himself and wonderful sense of humor, he is trying to contribute to building Poland, which the late Jan Karski probably dreamed of – he emphasized.

Prof. Szostek also recalled that the laureate's work stirred up various emotions: – After his ordination and studies, Father Adam became involved with the “Tygodnik Powszechny” community – and this was probably his whole life. He began to publish, he became an increasingly recognizable media figure, but his publications provoked extreme reactions – from delight to complete rejection and demands to shut him up – he said.

He also spoke about the laureate's enormous optimism and sense of humor. He quoted Father Boniecki's statement about the reasons for this cheerfulness: “I think that one of the sources of my optimism is the constant work with people. By getting to know the world of ordinary people, by participating in it, you also discover its beauty. Because this world, as trite as it may sound, is beautiful.”

Father Boniecki wrote about his sense of humor as follows: “A sense of humor and a smile help in life. It's my way of making the world a better place. I never wanted to act as a censor. Smile at a distressed saleswoman in a store, and she'll feel better and probably smile back. Say something witty to lighten the atmosphere a little. Instead of clenching your fist, wave. Thanks to crumbs like that, life is a little easier for everyone.”

During the laudation, the following words were also said: “Fr. Boniecki is full of inner peace, the source of which is above all the Gospel, the joyful prospect of the salvation of man accomplished by our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.” It was also mentioned that “in numerous interviews, Father Boniecki expresses his faith: exposed to many tests, not free from doubts and various uncertainties – and yet decisive and clear. And this faith, together with a friendly openness to people, as well as the ability to distinguish important matters from less important ones, testifies to his truly impressive wisdom.”

Referring to the wisdom of Father Boniecki, Prof. Szostek said, among other things, that “an important element of it is also his distance to himself, sometimes very ironic”. – In almost every conversation he has, and he has had many of them, he has a say. Father Adam knows that he does not possess all the minds, that sometimes he is mistaken in his views, that sometimes he reacts incorrectly to someone's voice or behavior. His authority is not based on his own alleged infallibility, but on his openness to others, on his inclination and ability to dialogue, on his readiness to correct his own beliefs – in the name of reason or in the name of faith – he added.

The presentation of the Special Award of the Jan Karski Eagle to Father Adam Boniecki took place on Thursday at the Polish Theatre in Warsaw. The ceremony was hosted by Andrzej Seweryn and Olgierd Łukaszewicz. Guests included Deputy Marshal of the Senate Rafał Grupiński and Warsaw Metropolitan Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz.

Father Adam Boniecki has been present in the public sphere for decades. He combines priestly ministry with an inspiring lack of indifference to what is happening in Poland. He did this both as a long-time editor-in-chief of “Tygodnik Powszechny”, author of books, and participant in numerous conferences. He is active in radio, television and electronic media. He condemns stupidity, lack of tolerance and narrow-mindedness. He calls for “tolerance, moderation and respect for others, even when they have radically different views”.