PHOTOS of the Commemoration ceremony to honor the memory of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust victims
On Sunday, May 10, 2026, a traditional memorial service was held at the Lety u Písku memorial site to commemorate the victims of the Roma Holocaust. The spiritual address was given by the synodal senior of the Evangelical Church, Pavel Pokorný.
Speech by Pavel Pokorný
Dear and beloved, survivors, descendants of survivors, fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen, sisters and brothers,
In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, the image of the last, God's judgment is depicted. The judge is the Son of Man. The highest authority of God is the one who is truly human. This corresponds to the story of Jesus Christ. The image of the last judgment is a parable, it is a literary form in which the Bible expresses what has value in human life, what has weight. The Son of Man says in that parable: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me... And whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." The highest is closest to those who are the lowest in human society. And what is valuable in human life, what truly matters, is shown in the relationship with the insignificant. The insignificant are those who are in need, have lack, are sick and imprisoned. Who - it seems - have nothing to offer. The insignificant are those whom we do not notice, whom we do not value. We tend to attribute some kind of lower human value to those who are of a different nationality, have a different opinion, or do not perform sufficiently by our standards. It is a subconscious and seductive tendency. The parable of the Last Judgment says: With God it is different.
The tendency to attribute a lower value to those who are different from us, who do not fit in with us, who have nothing to offer, is easily abused. The division into significant and insignificant contributes to injustice, inhumanity, cruelty. And it was also the principle on which the concentration camps operated, this one in Lety being no exception.
The Roma and Sinti were classified as insignificant here. And it is a sad fact that to this day someone still classifies them in such a category. But with God it is different. In the face of God, the insignificant are valuable. The value of human life is determined by the relationship with them. If you have ever experienced or are experiencing that you are insignificant, overlooked, inferior to someone, lean on God's gaze and be sure of your humanity, your value and dignity. You are God's.
I cannot put myself in the situation of unequal and humiliating relationships that the prisoners here and their descendants have experienced or still experience. I am part of the majority that tends to overlook the insignificant, and that has shared in the suffering of those who were forcibly held here. I am ashamed and sad. And I think about the fact that among the guards and oppressors there were probably also Christians. How is it possible that they did not see what was happening here. It scares me how easy it is to be influenced and not see the man of God in another human being. Where and against whom are we threatened with something similar?
The image of God's last judgment leads us to be careful not to make superficial human judgments.
Let us pray: God, heavenly Father of all people, open our eyes and teach us to see the value and dignity of every person and ourselves, open our hearts to the richness of relationships and to the beauty of the path on which strangers become loved ones. Shape us by your Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, that we may live in mutual respect, not yielding to hatred and giving no space to injustice, but honoring truth and justice in the name of love and peace. Amen.
And may God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless you. Amen.