(Vatican Radio) The Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine at the Vatican announced Wednesday that they have reached accord on the language of the Comprehensive Agreement toward which they have been working.
The Statement came at the conclusion of their Plenary Session at the Vatican.
The draft Agreement will now be submitted to the respective authorities for approval ahead of setting a date in the near future for the signing.
Below, please find the full text of the Joint Communique of the Bilateral Commission between the Holy See and the State of Palestine at the conclusion of the Plenary Session:
On 13 May 2015, the Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine, which is working on a Comprehensive Agreement following on the Basic Agreement, signed on 15 February 2000, held a Plenary Session in the Vatican to acknowledge the work done at an informal level by the joint technical group following the last official meeting held in Ramallah at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine on 6 February 2014.
The talks were chaired by Mgr Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, and by Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs of the State of Palestine.
The discussions took place in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. Taking up the issues already examined at an informal level, the Commission noted with great satisfaction the progress achieved in formulating the text of the Agreement, which deals with essential aspects of the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine.
Both Parties agreed that the work of the Commission on the text of the Agreement has been concluded, and that the agreement will be submitted to the respective authorities for approval ahead of setting a date in the near future for the signing.
The members of the Delegation of the Holy See were:
1. Mgr Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for Relations with States;
2. His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine;
3. His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio;
4. Father Luciano Lorusso, Under-Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches;
5. Mgr Alberto Ortega, Official of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State;
6. Father Emil Salayta, Judicial Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The members of the Palestinian Delegation were:
1. Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs;
2. Ambassador Issa Kassissieh, Representative of the State of Palestine to the Holy See;
3. Mr Ammar Hijazi, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs;
4. Mr Azem Bishara, Juridical Counsellor of the PLO.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine at the Vatican announced Wednesday that they have reached accord on the language of the Comprehensive Agreement toward which they have been working. The Statement came at the conclusion of their Plenary Session at the Vatican. The draft Agreement will now…
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(Vatican Radio) Top diplomats to the Holy See were invited on Wednesday to share their views and express their hopes and expectations regarding the tragic situation of migrants who risk their lives to cross the Mediterranean as they flee desperation back home.
The boat-borne exodus that has seen more than 10,000 people plucked from the Mediterranean off Libya in the last month, and the deaths of at least 1,700 from drowning, has driven the European Union to draw up a plan to confront the challenge posed by the massive influx of migrants and refugees.
A joint initiative by the Pontifical Councils for “Justice and Peace” and for “Migrants and Itinerant Peoples” has created a platform for African Ambassadors to the Holy See to exchange thoughts and ideas.
The aim of the platform is also to allow the diplomats to take proposals back to their Governments, seeing – as Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace points out – that a high percentage of those crossing the Mediterranean come from African nations.
Speaking to Linda Bordoni, Cardinal Turkson pointed to what seems to be a ‘deafening silence’ coming from across the sea as tens of thousands have fled the African Continent only to encounter torture, exploitation, trafficking and even death…
Listen to the interview :
Cardinal Turkson speaks of the current crisis pointing out that Pope Francis first raised the alarm when he travelled to Lampedusa and spoke of a “culture of indifference”.
He remarks on the fact that lately the dramatic turn the exodus has taken has caused the EU to hold a meeting and to draw up a plan to confront the challenge.
Turkson comments on the fact that although not everyone who is coming into Europe through the gateway provided by the Mediterranean, a good number of them are from North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Why is everybody talking about this and nothing is coming from Africa? We are not hearing the Heads of State, we are not hearing the African Union” he says.
So, recognizing that the power of the Ambassadors is a limited one “we still thought we can bring them together and create at least a forum, a platform for them to exchange thoughts and at least be able to suggest to their governments that the Offices of the Holy See feel this way” he says.
Turkson says that during their meeting it emerged that in fact some governments have been making their voices heard, including Egypt. And organizations like ECOWAS and the AU have also expressed their view.
Turkson says the discussion amongst those present placed a lot of emphasis on the global dimension of the phenomenon.
He says that the problem of trafficking was also addressed as was the need for development in poor countries.
He says the Ambassadors agree that: “If that is the case why should we not charge our governments to take a serious look at this?”
Cardinal Turkson concludes pointing out that it is all very well for the EU and for the AU to meet to address the issue separately – and to come up with solutions – “but it should be possible to come together to discuss the problems together”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Top diplomats to the Holy See were invited on Wednesday to share their views and express their hopes and expectations regarding the tragic situation of migrants who risk their lives to cross the Mediterranean as they flee desperation back home. The boat-borne exodus that has seen more than 10,000 people plucked from the…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis at his Wednesday General Audience continued his catechesis on the family, focusing on family life.
Listen to Christopher Wells’ report:
“Today’s catechesis is like the gateway to a series of reflections on the life of the family, its real life, with its different times and events.” On this gateway, he said, “are written three words, which I’ve already used many times: ‘May I?’, ‘Thank you,’ and ‘Pardon me.’” These three words, Pope Francis said, “open the path” to a happy family life. “They are simple words,” he said, “but not so simple to put into practice.” These three words, when they are based not simply on good manners, but on deep love and respect for others, have great power to strengthen family life.
Three Words
The first word is “May I?” “When we concern ourselves with gently requesting even those things we might think we have a right too, we place a real defence for the spirit of harmony in the marriage and the family.” Even Jesus asks permission to enter our lives, the Pope said, recalling the verse from Revelation: “I stand at the door and knock.”
The second word, “Thank you,” is an integral part of the life of a Christian. Too often in modern society, Pope Francis said, evil words and behaviours are touted as expressions of freedom, while kindness and courtesy are seen as signs of weakness, or even viewed with suspicion. These attitudes must be rejected in family life. “Gratitude, for a believer, is at the heart of the faith: a Christian who does not know how to give thanks is one who has forgotten the language of God.” A spirit of gratitude within the family is at the foundation of respect for the dignity of the human person and of social justice.
Finally, “Pardon me,” “forgive me,” is a difficult word to say, but absolutely necessary. Pope Francis links the ability to ask for forgiveness with the ability to forgive others. “If we are not able to apologize, it means we are unable to forgive.” Pope Francis offered a word of advice to families: “Never finish the day without making peace.”
Pope Francis recognized that his “three words” might seem simplistic. “The three key-words for the family are simple words, and perhaps at first they may cause us to smile,” the Holy Father said. “But when we forget them, there’s nothing to laugh about, is there?” Too often, perhaps, they may be obscured. “May the Lord help us to put them back in their proper place, in our hearts, in our homes, and even in our civil society.”
Our Lady of Fatima
At the conclusion of the Audience, Pope Francis had special greetings especially for young people, the sick, and new spouses. He recalled that May 13 is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. “Dear young people, learn and cultivate devotion to the Mother of God, with the daily recitation of the Rosary; dear [brothers and sisters] who are ill, feel the presence of Mary in the hour of the Cross; and you dear newly-married husbands and wives, pray to her that love and mutual respect will never be lacking in your homes.”
(from Vatican Radio)…