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The last official visit of World Council of Churches (WCC) outgoing general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser to a WCC member church will be to the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 29 November to 3 December 2003.

Writing to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I about his forthcoming farewell visit to the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, Raiser recalled that the Patriarchate was one of the first WCC member churches he had visited upon taking up his new position as general secretary of the WCC in 1993.

And, as he pointed out in his letter, the fact that it will now be the last WCC member church that he will visit before leaving the Council is, "Your All Holiness may be sure, much more than a simple coincidence!"

The Ecumenical Patriarchate is considered the 'first among equals' of the Eastern Orthodox churches, and was one of the founder members of the WCC in 1948.

Raiser will spend Saturday 29 November with the patriarch; on Sunday 30 November, the WCC general secretary will participate in a celebration on the feast of St Andrew, the church's patron saint.

Accompanying Raiser on the visit will be his wife Dr Elisabeth Raiser, WCC deputy general secretary Mr Georges Lemopoulos and WCC executive secretary Rev. Sabine Udodesku.