"A tree may be felled," Duda said. "One may poison its roots and watch it wither. This does not take a lot of effort or too much time. However, to plant a new tree and wait for it to grow and bring fruit is a long process."
It is for this reason that "the price for destroying the foundations of our civilization and attempts to replace them with other concepts, incoherent and loosely sketched, has always been and will always be enormous suffering and devastation," he said.
"We have always taken and we will always take pride in this invincible national spirit," he stated. "We can and are willing to draw on this great treasure of ours. It is also a lesson for the future for us: that we, the Polish people, can accomplish great, momentous things, if only we work together in accordance with the values that unite us. The values that have their source in the unbreakable bond between the Polish spirit and its Christian roots.
Today, Poland faces new challenges as "natural rivalry between different civilization models" have reached "an unprecedented intensity."
To be sure, debates are going on throughout all of Europe about how to best address these "new challenges."
For their part, Duda said, Poland should "trust the strength of our identity" and draw on the "rich treasury of ideas, experiences and solutions" developed by both the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions.
Concern and care for the "dignity, rights and aspirations of all citizens" should take precedence "over rivalry and a play of interests," he said. Equally important is that Poland draws upon her "heritage of tolerance and openness" to ensure that "our freedom and our material as well as spiritual strength are preserved and allowed to grow further."
Drawing on the words of St. John Paul II, who said on the eve of the nation's admittance into the European Union that Poland had an opportunity to "enrich the West spiritually, the same West that brought the Christian faith to us," Duda said that Poland "will stay true to her Christian heritage."
"For it is in this heritage that we have a well-tested, strong foundation for the future."