To
His Excellency Mr Zdzisław Rapacki
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Permanent Representative Mission of the Republic of Poland
to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva

Geneva, 12 April 2010

Your Excellency,

On behalf of the World Council of Churches, the broadest and most inclusive representation of the modern ecumenical movement whose goal is Christian unity, I would like to express our profound sorrow upon hearing of the plane crash in Smolensk on Saturday in which ninety-seven people lost their lives. For your country, the loss of the President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, his wife, leading politicians, military leaders, well known personalities in the financial and cultural life of Poland, as well as clergy of different confessions is a very heavy burden.

We assure you that our fellowship of churches from all around the world, including four Polish churches (Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Poland, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, Polish Catholic Church and Old-Catholic Mariavite Church in Poland), will be mourning with you during these sad days, together with the people of Poland, and will pray for the healing of this deep loss for Poland and the entire world.

Yours cordially,

Mr Georges Lemopoulos
WCC deputy general secretary