The shocking assassination of the Mayor of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz, brought condemnation across Poland and across the world. As Archbishop Slawoj Leszek Glodz warned at his funeral, his murder set alarm bells ringing throughout Polish society. It is a truth that needs to be universally acknowledged, that if a large enough crowd feel strongly enough, whatever the issue, one or two madmen may eventually take the law into their own hands.

And one of them did. Mayor Adamowicz had become a symbol of moderation and tolerance in an increasingly immoderate and intolerant society. Poland is struggling hard to come to terms with its own past, and with its place in the world. Few countries have been as traumatised as Poland over the 100 years since its rebirth as an independent nation, with invasion from East and West following military defeat, then five years of vicious Nazi rule, and then ruthless domination and exploitation as a Soviet satellite.

Through it all, the country’s deep-rooted Catholic faith survived, and the pride of its people in being Polish. Its challenge since 1989 has been to renew Polish culture and society. The beautiful city of Gdansk, Poland’s premier seaport, is testimony to that success. Gdansk was the birthplace of Solidarity, which in turn sparked the movement which eventually toppled the Soviet empire.