SCHOLASTIC ACCORD SIGNED BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND GABON

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2001 (VIS) - A Scholastic Accord between the Holy See and the Republic of Gabon was signed this morning in the library of the Vatican Secretariat of State by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States and Andre Mba Obame, minister of national education of Gabon, according to a communique released this morning.

In the presence of delegations representing both parties, they signed the Accord between the Holy See and the Republic of Gabon on the Statute of Catholic Teaching, stipulated in application of Articles 4 and 15 of the Accord-Framework between the Holy See and the Republic of Gabon on Principles and on Several Juridical Dispositions Relative to their Relations and Collaboration, which had been signed in Libreville, Gabon on December 12, 1997.

Archbishop Tauran, in brief remarks in French, noted that this was the first such Accord in French-speaking Africa. He thanked "all those who participated in this negotiation on the statute for Catholic education, a delicate but necessary work for the evangelizing mission of the Church and the good of your populations, As you know, if the Holy See is decidedly committed to this domain, it is so that the Catholic Church may continue her work, long-standing and appreciated, in the service of the education and the formation of young Gabonese who are freely entrusted to her by their families."

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