"Heiters threw themselves at us erstwhile our tv began to scope the people of the street," "my church is sedated," "Heiters and prosecutors have tainted my good name!" said Pastor Paweł Chojecki in his closing speech yesterday. The Lublin Court of Appeals postponed the conviction on Pastor Chojecki, editor-in-chief of the tv Go Under the Current. We're expected to know the verdict on June 5th at 1:00 p.m. The pastor is judged for the words he gave during sermons and on the tv programs he founded. Among another things, the prosecution accused him of insulting the spiritual feelings of Catholics, e.g. for calling the Fatima revelation a “outrage”. During yesterday, the 4th sitting of the Court of Appeal was held. We present the full speech of Pastor Paweł Chojecki.
Final speech of Pastor Paweł Chojecki
Your Honor, I was alternatively silent in the courtroom most of the time. The specified fact that the prosecutor's office of the Republic pastor with an excellent opinion is wandering through the courts – and even at the age of 60, at that time I reached sixty – is simply a immense insult to me, to my church and to all Protestants in Poland. We do not accept specified treatment of spiritual minorities.
I didn't go to any another church, I didn't go to destruct any objects of worship or anything else, I didn't interrupt anyone's spiritual activities. I spoke what I am obliged to do with God's Word in my Protestant church and on Protestant television.
The Constitution of the Republic guarantees me freedom of speech, and the function of the judiciary, the justice system, is to defend the victims. That's why I want Your Honor to know that in this case not these people are harmed – it is my church that is harmed, it is my church that is oppressed by them. At each of our meetings, their representatives deliver flyers to a “dangerous sect”. They're pouring feces on [the seat of our church], Mr. Ryganowski was accused of it. Policemen who belong to our church are stalking at their workplace, saying that he is simply a dangerous man due to the fact that he belongs to a sect. The proceedings [had in this case] were besides brought by the Meal Prosecutor Ryganowski. I hope the DA knows all this. And yet, I'm the 1 who's sitting on trial as a criminal.
Please understand, Your Honor, my emotions. The only crime I have in my life is simply a couple of parking tickets. I have an excellent opinion which is essential for my profession, as is the case with the advanced Court. And these people and the D.A. have ruined my good name! How can I be silent?! What's going on here is denial of justice, due to the fact that they're the ones who leaned on me, even on my grandson, calling him the boy of a belzebub. Those who sit here threatened to kill me. My daughters, they were threatened with acid spilling in public. My address was indicated. Where's 1 of those victims? He even came erstwhile we changed our address, filmed where we live, and put it on the Internet, which is simply a crime, a home-mirr violation. That's how they've felt us for years. This is us, a spiritual minority, Protestants in Poland... The pastors said how many bricks they took out of their church buildings.
Never, in my wildest expectations – knowing that the Polish state is not a just state, after ’89 – did it happen to me that I would even sit on a bench accused as a criminal, for serving Christ faithfully. So saying that I offended 1 of these people is simply a mockery of justice.
As far as my words are concerned, Your Honor can see our tv in which Catholic professors, average Catholics, have hosted us even a Catholic bishop. And we all talk in a spirit of civilian respect, everybody's happy, etc. But delight note what was raised by Counselor Wróblewski, the haters threw themselves at us erstwhile our tv began to scope the people of the street – not the professors, not the theologians. I delivered a letter from the prison to the advanced Court. Nothing spoke to him. He read the books. He listened to various sermons, there was a pastor in court. But he turned on tv Go Under the Current and Pastor Chojecki – and that changed his life. Your Honor, it's on the record. I talk to people like that. And that I said "fart"? Is that what I said? That I said "shit," quoting the apostle Paul? This is my crime?! No honest man will agree to that.
About the most crucial thing. We're talking about religion. It seems that God is the object of religion and worship of both Protestants and Catholics, Orthodox, etc. Give me 1 sentence, 1 word where I said something against God.
As for my intentions, I will not prove them due to the fact that my full life is proof of intent. Jesus said. Can't you judge? justice the fruit. See how he lived his life, how he raised his children. 3 of my children, university and postgraduate studies, the doctor sits here, a UMCS scholar. This is my achievement. Personal. I already have grandchildren. See what happens in court. Are they criminals, haters, people who attack someone? This is the fruit of my service to Jesus, for which I sit here. Thank you.
SEE THE END OF THE CHOJECIAN PASTOR:
PHOTO GALLERY
