The new pact, which was signed this morning in Jerusalem at the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, reflects the elaboration of principles first sketched out in the December 1993 agreement which paved the way for formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See, which began in June 1994. A special commission had been charged with working out the particulars of the agreement. Today, Israeli foreign minister David Levy signed the agreement along with the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo.
The new agreement must now be formally ratified by the Israeli Knesset. It is to be followed by a final accord governing the financial and fiscal conduct of the Catholic entities in Israel.
Since the time of the Ottoman Empire, the Catholic entities in the Holy Land enjoyed a "de facto" recognition, but until today that legal recognition was never formally established. While expressing regrets that the negotiations took so long, Vatican officials also voiced their pleasure with the new agreement. The Israeli ambassador to the Vatican agreed that the new accord could be "an important base in the long and continuing process of normalizing relations between the state of Israel and the Holy See."
The agreement makes no reference to the still-troubled question of the status of Jerusalem. The two sides remain far apart on that issue, with the Holy See lobbying in favor of a special agreement which would make Jerusalem an international city, recognized as part of "the religious patrimony of humanity," with all faiths guaranteed free access to their holy places.
Under the terms of the new agreement, the Catholic entities in Israel-- the patriarchates, dioceses, religious institutes, and the Custody of the Holy Land-- will be granted formal recognition as having "juridical personality" under the country's law. As Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls explained, these Catholic entities now may "exercise their proper ecclesial functions freely on Israeli territory, under conditions which are not inferior to those of people born into citizenship in the state." In substance, he continued, the accord "consolidates, confirms, and clarifies" the traditional treatment of the Church.
The signing of the accord closes a curious chapter in the often tense relationship between the Holy See and Israel. The Israeli government had made the decision to approve the new agreement in September, following the conclusion of the work done by the special negotiating commission. However, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inexplicably delayed final approval, at a time when the Israeli government had come under Vatican fire for delays in the overall peace process in the Middle East. The signing today, as both sides implicitly agreed, represents a significant new warming in relations.