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    VATICAN CITY, NOV 23 (ZENIT).- John Paul II sent a message to the International Conference in Moscow, which is addressing the topic, "Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday and Today and For Ever (Heb: 13:8) -- Christianity on the Threshold of the Third Millennium". The meeting, which began today and will end on November 25, was organized by the Christian Interconfessional Consultative Committee.

    The Interconfessional Committee includes Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant leaders of the Community of Independent States and in the Baltic Countries. At the Committee's invitation, the Vatican is represented by Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

    In the papal message, which Cardinal Cassidy has taken to Moscow, the Holy Father expresses the hope that this will be a decisive meeting for Christians of different confessions -- Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, to "inspire all involved to bear an ever more convincing and effective witness to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ ... who is the center of the Christian faith and of the truth which is his Church."

    In referring to the fact that in the congress Churches are participating that "through the incorporation of their members by baptism into Christ, already share a real, though yet imperfect, communion," the Pope underlined that the "rediscovery of this brotherhood in the Lord will make it possible for Christians to deepen their relations, intensify their cooperation, and strive towards that perfect unity in the faith which is expressed in full and visible ecclesial communion, and to which Christ the Lord calls his disciples."

    The current Moscow Conference is the third meeting of its kind. The preceding were held in Moscow in 1994 and Minsk in 1996.

    The full text of the Message can be found at www.zenit.org/english in the "Documents" section. ZE99112305

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