Condolences from European Bishops at the death of Cardinal Glemp

(Vatican Radio) The Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) has sent a message of condolences on behalf of Europe's Bishops at the death of Polish Cardinal Jozef Glemp.

The President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary and President of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, expressed the condolences of the European episcopate to the current Archbishop of Warsaw, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz.

In his message, Cardinal Erdő recalled “the strong witness of Cardinal Glemp in the dark years of the Communist regime, first as secretary to Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and then as Archbishop of Warsaw and Primate of Poland”, but also “his direct contribution to the work of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences when he particpated in our Plenary Assemblies up to 2003 as President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference”.

Cardinal Glemp, Poland's former Catholic primate (1981-2009), led the Polish Church through many of the days of communist rule which ended in 1989. Cardinal Glemp died on January 23, 2013 at the age of 83.