Vatican City, Jun 12, 2012 / 15:38 pm
An agreement securing the rights of the Catholic Church in Israel is one step closer to being finalized after a meeting between both sides at the Vatican.
"The negotiations took place in a thoughtful and constructive atmosphere," said the June 12 communique from the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel.
"The Commission took notice that significant progress was made towards the conclusion of the Agreement."
Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel have existed since 1993. Since then, however, there have been unresolved issues regarding the legal status of the Church in Israel. An agreement between both states has been discussed since 1999 but never signed.
"It is true that in some circles there was talk of signing the Agreement, but that was not in fact scheduled," said Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See's Under-Secretary for Relations with States.