“The 1984 Framework Agreement paved the way for the agreements subsequently concluded by the State [on other related matters], fostering the recognition of religious pluralism that is proper to Italian society today,” said Mattarella.
His comments came in a message to a study session organised by the Bettino Craxi ETS Foundation and the Italian Embassy to the Holy See for the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Agreement amending the Concordat.
“After forty years, the fundamental principle of proper cooperation in freedom, which represents the soul of the Republican Concordat, remains a topical and fruitful guide,” he added.
“[It’s also] a source of inspiration for addressing the changes affecting ecclesial and national affairs.”
The original Concordat is one part of the broader Lateran Pacts of 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel III and Benito Mussolini and the Holy See under Pope Pius XI.
The agreement also included a political treaty recognising Vatican City as an independent state under the sovereignty of the Holy See, and financial compensation to the Church for the loss of the Papal States in 1870.
ANSA
