On Friday 26 June 2015, at the Vatican
Apostolic Palace, a Comprehensive Agreement was signed between the Holy See and
the State of Palestine. The accord follows on the Basic Agreement
which was signed between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO) on 15 February 2000 and is the result of the negotiations undertaken by a
bilateral working commission over the past number of years. His Excellency Archbishop Paul R.
Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, signed for the Holy See and His
Excellency Dr. Riad Al-Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed for the State
of Palestine. The following took part in the solemn act: For the Holy See: His Excellency
Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine;
His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio; His Beatitude Fouad
Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins; Mgr. Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary
for the Holy See’s Relations with States; Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Lorusso, O.P.,
Under-Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; Mgr. Alberto
Ortega, Official of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of
State; Mgr. Paolo Borgia, Official of the Section for General Affairs of the
Secretariat of State; and Rev. Fr. Oscar Marzo, O.F.M., member of the Custody
of the Holy Land and Official of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. For the State of Palestine: His Excellency
Dr. Ramzi Khoury, Advisor to the President, Deputy Head of the Presidential
Higher Committee on Church Affairs in Palestine; Ambassador Issa Kassissieh,
Representative of the State of Palestine to the Holy See; Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman,
Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs; Mrs. Vera Baboun, Mayor of
Bethlehem; Mr. Moussa Abu Hadeed, Mayor of Ramallah; Mr. Ammar Hijazi, Deputy
Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs; Mr. Azem Bishara, Legal
Advisor of the PLO; Mr. Ammar Nisnas, Counselor of the Diplomatic
Representation of the State of Palestine to the Holy See. The Agreement is comprised of a Preamble
and 32 Articles distributed in 8 Chapters. It deals with essential aspects of
the life and activity of the Catholic Church in the State of Palestine, while
reaffirming support for a negotiated and peaceful resolution of the situation
in the region. The Agreement shall come into force when both Parties
have notified each other in writing that the constitutional or internal
requirements for the coming into force of the Agreement have been met. Address given by
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, on the
signing of the comprehensive agreement
between the State of Palestine and the Holy See Your
Excellency, I
would like, first and foremost, to welcome you and your Delegation to the
Secretariat of State, on the auspicious occasion of the signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, which
marks an important step on the path of good relations which for some time have
happily existed between the Parties. This
present Agreement follows on from the Basic Agreement between the Holy See and
the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which was signed on 15 February
2000. It is the result of the negotiations of a special Bilateral Commission
which has worked at various levels over recent years, with dedication and
competence, in a most cordial atmosphere. In
contrast with the earlier Agreement, the present one is being signed by the
Holy See and the State of Palestine; this is indicative of the progress made by
the Palestinian Authority in recent years, and above all of the level of
international support, which culminated in the Resolution of the General
Assembly of the United Nations of 29 November 2012, which recognized Palestine
as a non-member Observer State at the United Nations. In
this context, it is my hope that the present Agreement may in some way be a
stimulus to bringing a definitive end to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, which continues to cause suffering for both Parties. I also hope that
the much desired two-State solution may become a reality as soon as possible.
The peace process can move forward only if it is directly negotiated between
the Parties, with the support of the international community. This certainly
requires courageous decisions, but it will also offer a major contribution to
peace and stability in the region. The
Comprehensive Agreement, while constituting an understanding between two
subjects of international law, basically concerns the life and activity of the
Church in Palestine. In this respect, I am pleased that juridical recognition
is clearly established and that guarantees have been given for the work of the
Catholic Church and her institutions. Catholics do not seek any privilege other
than continued cooperation with their fellow-citizens for the good of society.
I am also pleased to say that the local Church, which has been actively
involved in the negotiations, is satisfied with the goal attained and is happy
to see the strengthening of its good relations with the civil Authorities. In
the complex reality of the Middle East, where in some countries Christians have
even suffered persecution, this Agreement offers a good example of dialogue and
cooperation, and I earnestly hope that this may serve as a model for other Arab
and Muslim majority countries. With this in mind, I would like to emphasize the
importance of the chapter dedicated to freedom of religion and freedom of
conscience. To
conclude, may I once again reaffirm the Holy See’s particular solicitude for
the Middle East and for the Holy Land, and its joy at the Agreement that has
been reached, which I am hopeful will take effect without delay. Thank you!…
(Vatican Radio) The Press Office of the Holy See was the scene on Thursday for a status report on the preparations for the eighth World Meeting of Families, to be held in the US city of Philadelphia from September 22-27, 2015, culminating with the presence of Pope Francis.
During the course of the conference, journalists learned that week of festivities will include ecumenical, interreligious, and multicultural celebrations of the family involving an expected 15 thousand participants from more than a dozen countries around the globe. For the Holy Father’s public engagements on September 26th and 27th, between 1 and 2 million people are expected to take part.
In an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio following the press conference, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap. spoke of the irreplacable contribution the Church has to make to the ongoing discussion of the place of the family in society. “The only unique thing that the Church brings to a discussion of family life is the teaching of Jesus Christ,” he said, “and so it seems to me that the most important contribution we make, is to make that teaching very clear, announcing it in a joyful and positive way.”
Click below to hear Archbishop Chaput’s extended conversation with Chris Altieri
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 25 June 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has sent a telegram of condolences to the Patriarchal Synod of the Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenians, Beirut, for the sudden death of the Patriarch, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, at the age of 75.
The Pope expresses his heartfelt condolences to the faithful of the Patriarchate and recalls his close collaboration with the Patriarch, one of the most prominent consequences of which is the recent declaration of St. Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Church.
“I entrust to the merciful Father the soul of this devoted pastor who, as a priest dedicated himself tirelessly to the service of the communities for whom he was responsible, and later, as bishop, carried out his ministry with faith and zeal, first in Alexandria and then as Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians. I join in prayer with all those who are affected by his sudden passing and convey my apostolic blessing, in particular to the bishops of the Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenians, the family of the deceased and all those who are to attend his funeral”….
(Vatican Radio) “The true authority of the Church of Rome is the charity of Christ.” That was the message of Pope Francis to members of the Pontifical Eccesiastical Academy, the “Accademia” – the Roman institution responsible for preparing priests for the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
Listen:
It is only the charity of Christ that makes the Church of Rome “universal and credible” to human beings and to the world. This, the Pope continued, “is the heart of its truth, which does not build walls of division and exclusion, but makes bridges that build communion and recall the whole human race to unity; this is its secret power, which nourishes its unshakable hope, invincible despite momentary defeats.”
Pope Francis told the future diplomats that the service to which they will be called requires them to defend the liberty of the Apostolic See, which, “in order not to betray its mission before God and for the true good of men,” must not get caught up in factions, or “allow itself to be colonized by the popular thoughts of the day, or by the illusory hegemony of the ‘mainstream’.”
In a series of analogies, the Holy Father warned the students not to expect “the ground to be ready” but to be prepared to “plow it with your hands… in order to prepare it for the seed” in hopeful expectation of a harvest which they, perhaps, may never see. He asked them not “to fish in aquariums or fish farms” but to have the courage to go to the margins, to cast their “nets and fishing poles” in lesser known areas, without getting used to “eating fish that others have prepared.”
The Holy Father reminded them that their mission will take them all over the world: “To Europe, needing to be awakened; to Africa, thirsty for reconciliation; to Latin America starving for nourishment and interiority; to North America, intent upon rediscovering the roots of an identity that does not define itself in terms of exclusion; in Asia and Oceania, challenged by the capacity of fermenting in diaspora and dialogue with the vastness of ancestral culture.”
Pope Francis assuring his audience of his prayers for them, and asked for theirs in return. He concluded his remarks with a reminder: “Your whole life is at the service of the Gospel and of the Church. Never forget it!”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 25 June 2015 (VIS) – This morning in the Holy See Press Office a press conference was held to present the Eighth World Meeting of Families, to be held in Philadelphia, U.S.A., from 22 to 27 September this year, on the theme “Love is our mission. The family fully alive”. The speakers were Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family; Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Philadelphia with his auxiliary, Bishop John J. McIntyre, and Jerry and Lucille Francesco, a couple from the same archdiocese, now married for fifty years.
Archbishop Paglia emphasised that the Meeting is a valuable opportunity to place the family at the centre of the Church and of civil society. “It is a duty”, he said, explaining that the meeting is about and for families, who are its protagonists and main recipients. “The family builds the Church and sustains society. … During the days of the conference, we will present the results of some international research that has scientifically studied this positive influence. The family constantly asks for help and support in the entire ecclesial community – and in the next few days I will write to all the monasteries of the world to ask them to accompany these very important days with their prayers – and from civil society as a whole, which cannot remain indifferent to such beauty and goodness that is so effective and so viable”.
The prelate went on to highlight the global nature of the event, and the hope that it will be seen and reported on worldwide. “The family is the heritage of all humanity, at every latitude, in every culture; it is blessed by all religions. That is why we wanted a significant presence of other Christian denominations and of major world religious traditions. … We are working so that delegations from around the globe and especially from the world’s poorest local Churches will be present. Philadelphia will be a great worldwide celebration of families: in the spectacle, we will be able to get a glimpse, we will have to show the beauty and the possibility of all humanity becoming a single family of peoples. It is the dream of peace; it is God’s dream”.
This universality will be enshrined in the final gesture of the meeting: the archbishop revealed that at the end of Mass on Sunday, 27 September, Pope Francis will give the Gospel of Luke, “the Good News of God’s mercy, which is Jesus, to families from big cities on the five continents: Kinshasa, Africa; Havana, America; Hanoi, Asia; Sydney, Australia; and Marseilles, Europe. This is a symbolic gesture that will announce the sending of a million copies of this book to the five cities involved. We want the Gospel of Mercy to be announced in the great cities of the world so that they may build bonds of love between them, in the Church and in society”.
The archbishop of Philadelphia gave some data on the Meeting, which more than a million people are expected to attend, and from which representatives of more than a hundred nations have registered. So far 6,100 volunteers have offered assistance of various types and the event organisers intend to make more than 5,000 buses available. More than 1,600 people have signed up to the “Host a Family” programme.
For more information on the events linked to the meeting, see http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/…