February 4, 2005

The members of the Joint Committee of Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), meeting in Chartres, France, from 3-6 February 2005, sent a message to Pope John Paul II today, wishing him a speedy recovery from his illness. The message is signed, on behalf of all the participants, by the two co-chairs of the meeting, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor (Great Britain) and Pastor Jean-Arnold de Clermont (France).

The full text of the message

"To His Holiness John Paul II, Bishop of Rome.

Your Holiness, we are gathered here in Chartres as members of the Joint Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE).

We wish to express our deep feeling of closeness to you at this particularly trying time. We pray for you and we wish you a speedy recovery on behalf of both our organisations.

We would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for your tireless work for reconciliation among Christians, and we entrust our meeting in Chartres and the ecumenical projects it is planning in Europe to your prayer.

We hope to have an opportunity to meet you soon.

In the fellowship of Christ,

Cormac Card. Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster
Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, President of CEC
Co-chairs of the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee"

Chartres, 4 February 2005

Conference of European Churches