VATICAN CITY
(AP) -- The Vatican officially recognized the state of Palestine in a
new treaty finalized Wednesday, immediately sparking Israeli ire and
accusations that the move hurt peace prospects.
The
treaty, which concerns the activities of the Catholic Church in
Palestinian territory, is both deeply symbolic and makes explicit 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 and had referred to the Palestine state
since. But the treaty is the first legal document negotiated between
the Holy See and the Palestinian state, giving the Vatican's former
signs of recognition an unambiguous confirmation in a formal, bilateral
treaty.
"Yes, it's a recognition that the state exists," said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it was "disappointed."...Continue reading...
Related: Pope Pius XII & the Holocaust
Related: Pope Pius XII & the Holocaust
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