Mass is taking place in Warsaw’s seminary church, which begins the celebration of the 11th anniversary of the Smolensk air disaster. The service is attended by the President of Law and Justice, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Speaker of the Polish Parliament Elżbieta Witek, representatives of the government, the Constitutional Court, Law and Justice Party’s politicians and representatives of families.
The spokeswoman of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) Anita Czerwińska said earlier that this year’s celebrations of the anniversary of the Smolensk air crash will take place in the shadow of a pandemic.
‘We adapt the organisation of the celebrations to the applicable restrictions’ – she ensured.
She indicated that both the morning mass and the evening, ending the celebrations, would take place in a full sanitary regime, including a limited number of participants.
The morning mass is attended by President of Law and Justice Party, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Speaker of the Polish Parliament Elżbieta Witek, Deputy Prime Ministers: Piotr Gliński, Jacek Sasin and the Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak, President of the Constitutional Court Julia Przyłębska, Head of the Law and Justice Party Club, Deputy Speaker of the Polish Parliament Ryszard Terlecki.
After the Mass, there will be celebrations in Piłsudski Square, organised by the Ministry of National Defense. During these proceedings, delegations will lay wreaths in front of the statue of President Lech Kaczynski and the monument to the Victims of the Smolensk Air Disaster.
On April 10, 2010, 96 people were killed in the crash of a Tu-154 plane carrying a delegation to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, including President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria, the most senior military commanders and the last President of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski.