Ten years ago, the historic “Global Agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Palestine was signed, which entailed the Vatican’s recognition of the State of Palestine.

It was signed on June 26, 2015, by the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, and the former Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riad al-Malki.

The Holy See was one of the first states in Europe to recognize the character of “statehood” for what, as a result of the 1993 Oslo Accords, had been defined as the Palestinian National Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

The agreement consists of a preamble and 8 chapters comprising 32 articles. It primarily outlines the essential aspects of the life and activities of Christians in Palestine, with particular reference to freedom of religion and conscience—rights that the Palestinian state commits to protecting. In addition to guaranteeing the exercise of worship in Christianity’s holy sites, the text also acknowledges the right of the local Catholic Church to engage in social, charitable, and educational activities, and it grants favorable tax treatment for Church-owned property.

Undoubtedly, the most significant element—alongside the formal recognition of the State of Palestine—is the reaffirmation of the Holy See’s support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The agreement envisions a final solution in which two states, Israel and Palestine, coexist peacefully side by side with equal dignity. The agreement was the result of intense and painstaking diplomatic work over several years, led on the Vatican side not only by Archbishop Gallagher but also by then-Undersecretary Monsignor Antoine Camilleri and then-Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Franco.

The starting point for this process was the “Fundamental Agreement” that the Holy See had signed fifteen years earlier (on February 15, 2000, during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II) with a different Palestinian political entity—the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)—which already recognized the right to religious freedom and the equal dignity of the three monotheistic religions present in Jerusalem.

The Global Agreement of ten years ago came just one year after the historic meeting between Pope Francis, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli President Shimon Peres, during which the three planted an olive tree, a symbol of peace, in the Vatican Gardens.

The lasting significance of the agreement is underscored by the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana.

“The 2015 agreement reaffirms the Holy See’s willingness to work with anyone to find concrete and just answers to the suffering of humanity,” he told L’Osservatore Romano. “Together, we must work so that two peoples—the Israeli and the Palestinian—can live in peace and tranquility, with two independent and prosperous states in the land where Providence has brought them together.”

Similar sentiments were expressed on the occasion by the Palestinian ambassador to the Holy See, Issa Kassissieh.

“The fact that the agreement includes formal recognition of the State of Palestine, along with the affirmation that there is no solution to the conflict other than the ‘two-state’ solution, gives the Holy See a role of leadership and prophecy in the pursuit of peace,” he said.

The value of the agreement is also affirmed in the words of the newly-appointed Palestinian Foreign Minister, Varsen Aghabekian (named just a few days ago).

“The 2015 agreement envisions what we hope can be the future of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, beginning with the continued presence of Christians in their homeland and the protection of the status quo of sanctuaries and holy sites,” she told L’Osservatore Romano. “That agreement marked a historic step for both the Church and the Palestinian people. I am certain that the pursuit of peace and justice will also inspire Pope Leo. We hope that the cries of our people will be heard throughout the world, that the suffering will cease, and that the bells of Christian churches will once again ring out with joy.”

_{Source: vaticannews.va}