Vatican Recognizes Palestinian State

Edit: it will be interesting to see how Israel reacts, which had increasingly friendly relations with John Paul II's Papacy throughout the eighties.

[The Blaze] The treaty, which concerns the activities of the Catholic Church in Palestinian territory, makes clear that the Holy See has switched its diplomatic recognition from the Palestine Liberation Organization to the state of Palestine.

The Vatican had welcomed the decision by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012 to recognize a Palestinian state. But the treaty is the first legal document negotiated between the Holy See and the Palestinian state and constitutes official diplomatic recognition.

“Yes, it’s a recognition that the state exists,” said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi.


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/05/13/vatican-officially-recognizes-state-of-palestine-in-new-treaty/

Svetlana Medvedeva commemorates victims of Polish airplane crash in Smolensk Cathedral

Smolensk, October 11, Interfax – Svetlana Medvedeva visited the Assumption Cathedral late on Sunday and thus finished her trip to Smolensk.

After memorial events at the Katyn memorial complex Russian President's spouse visited the cathedral in company with president's representative plenipotentiary to the Central Federative District Georgy Poltavchenko, governor of the Smolensk Region Sergey Antufyev and Bishop Feofilakt of Smolensk and Vyazma.

Bishop Feofilakt told Medvedeva dramatic story of the church and mentioned artifacts kept in it, then Medvedeva participated in the divine service held to commemorate 96 passengers of Tu-154 crashed on April 10 when landing on the Severny airdrome.


Medvedeva lit the candle before the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God Hodigitria (She who shows the way) and gave the bishop an icon of St. John the Theologian as a present.

Interfax original...

Pope Has Received Message from Ahmadinejad

ack to Google News
Pope has received letter from Ahmadinejad

(AP) – 1 day ago

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI has received a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Vatican did not release the contents of the message. But the website of the Iranian presidency said Saturday that Ahmadinejad had called for cooperation by "divine religions" against secularism.

The website said he also thanked Benedict for his stance against a Florida pastor who had threatened to burn the Quran on the 9/11 anniversary. The pope and other Christian leaders urged the pastor to reconsider his plans, which he eventually called off.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the pontiff received the letter during a brief meeting with one of Iran's vice presidents at the end of his weekly general audience Wednesday.

Link to original...

Vietnam and Vatican discuss Diplomatic Ties

(February 20, 2009) The Holy See and Vietnam have laid a “good basis” for establishing diplomatic relations during annual meetings this week, although no target has been set, a Vatican envoy said on Thursday. The meeting was held in a “very frank and open atmosphere,” Monsignor Pietro Parolin, the Vatican under-secretary for Relation with States told reporters after meeting with Nguyen The Doanh, head of Vietnam's religious affairs commission. Tensions have existed between the Vietnamese government and religious organizations for years. Communist authorities closely monitor religious groups and insist on approving most church appointments. But recently, relations between Hanoi and the Holy See have begun to thaw. Talks between the government and Vatican have been held since 1990, but the latest round marked the first meeting of a working group studying the renewal of diplomatic ties. “We have already set up good basis for further progress,” Msgr. Parolin said, adding that it was impossible to say how long the process would take. “The outcome will be diplomatic relations,” he added. He also told reporters he hoped the Pope might come to Vietnam this year, although no plans had been made for a visit. The working group held its first sessions on Monday and Tuesday, when Msgr. Parolin met Vice Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Cuong. Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said this week's meeting was an “important step” in the development of relations between Vietnam and the Vatican. Msgr. Parolin's delegation is scheduled to visit two dioceses in northern Vietnam later this week before returning to Rome on Sunday. Vietnam has one of Asia's largest Catholic populations, with more than 6 million followers.


Link to original...


Link to related story about Vietnamese government oppressing Catholics, as usual.

The Holy See's Diplomatic Net. Latest Acquisition: Russia

Over half a century, the pope's ambassadors in the world have doubled. Bilateral diplomatic relations have tripled. Failing to answer the summons are China, Saudi Arabia, and a few other states. The double game of Vietnam: while it is negotiating with the Vatican, it is assailing Catholics

by Sandro Magister



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