Revd Dr Konrad Raiser
General Secretary
World Council of Churches
Geneva

Jerusalem, 12 August 1999

Dear Dr Raiser,

First and foremost, we would like to express our appreciation to the World Council of Churches for its Statement on the Status of Jerusalem that was adopted during its VIII General Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe, in December 1998.

Based on the spirit of our Memorandum on the Significance of Jerusalem for Christians, dated 14 November 1994, this statement will help strengthen the Christian witness in this land as much as promote the status of this holy city as being one that includes its two peoples and three religions.

We strongly encourage the World Council of Churches - through its Central Committee and its other clusters and departments - to ensure that the pivotal issue of Jerusalem stays on its agenda. We also trust that the on-going cooperation between the Churches of Jerusalem and the WCC be maintained so that the voice of the Church of Jerusalem could be heard by all church constituencies world-wide.

As the Holy Land prepares itself to usher in a fresh millennium, We all pray and hope that Jerusalem will truly become faithful to its calling as a City of Peace.

Yours in Christ,

+Diodoros I

Greek Orthodox Patriarch

+Michel Sabbah

Latin Patriarch

+Torkom Manoogian

Armenian Patriarch

Giovanni Batistelli

Custos of the Holy Land

+Anba Abraham

Coptic Orthodox Archbishop

+Mar Swerios Malki Murad

Syrian Orthodox Archbishop

+Abba Gabriel

Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop

+Riah Abu Al-Assal

Anglican Bishop

+Lufti Lahham

Greek Catholic Patriarchal Vicar

+Mounib Younan

Lutheran Bishop

+Boulos Sayyah

Maronite PSatriarchal Vicar

+Boutros Abdel Ahhad

Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Vicar

(Absent due to illness)

+Andre Bedoghlyian

Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Vicar