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Date: April 5, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V: 847/742-5100 F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL: CoBNews@AOL.Com

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN	NEWSLINE
Special Report	   April 5, 2005

CHURCH	OF THE BRETHREN LEADERS MOURN DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

April 5, 2005  (Elgin, IL) -- Church of the Brethren leaders have
joined Christians and  others worldwide in mourning the death of
Pope John Paul II, and expressing  condolence to the Roman Catholic
community. "It is with sadness that the  Church of the Brethren in
the United States received the news of the death of  His Holiness
Pope John Paul II. We mourn the loss of this servant of  Christ,"
said a letter signed by Church of the Brethren Annual  Conference
moderator Jim Hardenbrook and the general secretary of the  Church
of the Brethren General Board, Stan Noffsinger. "His light and	life
will be missed."

Quoting from 1 Peter 1:3, the letter expressed	appreciation for the
many ministries of Pope John Paul II and celebrated  the
contributions he made to the ecumenical movement. The Brethren
leaders  prayed that others will be inspired by his work for peace
and  justice.

The letter was sent to his Eminence Angelo Cardinal  Sodano,
Secretary of State for the Vatican; the Most Reverend  William
Skylstad, President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops;  and
the Most Reverend Michael P. Driscoll of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of  Boise, as a colleague of the Annual Conference moderator.

The Church of  the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to
continuing the work of	Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living
out its faith in community. The  denomination is based in the
Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is	one of the three
Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its 300th anniversary  in
2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United States	and
Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil,  the
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.

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For more  information contact:

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News  Services
Church of the Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin,	IL 60120
847-742-5100 ext.  260

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The  Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl
Brumbaugh-Cayford,  director of news services for the Church of the
Brethren General Board.  Newsline stories may be reprinted provided
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