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Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, expressed condolences to Metropolitan Jósef Michalik, President of the Polish Episcopal Conference, over the demise of Cardinal Jósef Glemp, former Archbishop of Warsaw and Primate of Poland. The text of the message is given below.

His Eminence Archbishop Jósef Michalik

Metropolitan of Przemyśl

President of the Polish Episcopal Conference

Your Eminence:

Please accept my deep condolences over the grievous loss that had befallen the Roman Catholic Church in Poland – the demise of Cardinal Jósef Glemp, the former Archbishop of Warsaw and Primate of Poland.

His Eminence had devoted his life to the service to God and the neighbours and had been a most authoritative hierarch of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. With his characteristic wisdom and courage he had guided the ship of the Church through all adversities and trials in the years difficult for your country.  Even after his retirement, Cardinal Glemp continued his fruitful work for the good of spiritual renewal of the Polish people and for the strengthening of peace among religions and nations.

Cardinal Glemp had been a sincere friend of the Russian Orthodox Church for a long time, maintained good relations of cooperation with her Primates and played an important part in reaching mutual understanding and reconciliation between the Polish and Russian people.

“The salvation of the righteousness is from the Lord,” said the Psalmist (37:39). I pray to the All-Merciful God to rest the soul of the deceased in the mansions of the righteous.

With love in the Lord,

+ Hilarion

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk

Chairman

Moscow Patriarchate’s

Department for External Church Relations