Holy See marks 10 years since recognizing Palestine. 2015 agreement promotes peace, protects Christian rights, and envisions a two-state solution.
Newsroom, June 29, 2025, Gaudium Press – June 26, 2025, marked the tenth anniversary of the historic “Global Agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, a landmark accord that formalized the Vatican’s recognition of Palestinian statehood. Signed in 2015 by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, and then-Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki, the agreement remains a cornerstone of diplomatic efforts to foster peace and protect religious freedom in the Holy Land.
The accord, comprising a preamble and 32 articles across eight chapters, establishes key protections for Christians in Palestine, emphasizing freedom of religion and conscience. It guarantees the right to worship at Christianity’s sacred sites, supports the Catholic Church’s social, charitable, and educational endeavors, and provides favorable tax treatment for Church properties. Beyond these provisions, the agreement’s most significant contribution is its explicit endorsement of a two-state solution, envisioning Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully with equal dignity.
This vision builds on decades of Vatican diplomacy, including the 2000 “Fundamental Agreement” with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) under Pope John Paul II, which affirmed religious freedom and the equal dignity of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Jerusalem. The 2015 agreement, the result of years of meticulous negotiations led by Archbishop Gallagher, then-Undersecretary Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, and then-Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Antonio Franco, further solidified the Holy See’s commitment to a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In 2014, when Pope Francis hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres in the Vatican Gardens to plant an olive tree—a universal emblem of peace. A year later theGlobal Agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Palestine was signed.
Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem, emphasized the agreement’s role in promoting dialogue. “The 2015 agreement reaffirms the Holy See’s willingness to work with all parties to find concrete and just answers to human suffering,” he told L’Osservatore Romano. “We must strive for a future where Israelis and Palestinians live in peace, with two independent and prosperous states in the land where Providence has united them.”
Palestinian Ambassador to the Holy See, Issa Kassissieh, echoed this sentiment, noting the agreement’s prophetic vision. “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.
Newly appointed Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian, who assumed office days before the anniversary, underscored the agreement’s significance for both Palestinians and Christians. “The 2015 accord envisions a future for Jerusalem and the Holy Land where Christians remain in their homeland and the sanctity of holy sites is preserved,” 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.”
As the Holy See and Palestine mark this milestone, the agreement continues to stand as a beacon of hope, advocating for dialogue, coexistence, and the enduring presence of Christian communities in the cradle of their faith.
- Raju Hasmukh with files fro Vatican News
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