ACCORD BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND CITY STATE OF BREMA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2003 (VIS) - On Friday November 21 in the city hall of Brema, Germany, an accord which regulates relations between the Catholic Church and the city state was signed by the Holy See and the Hanseatic free city of Brema. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, apostolic nuncio in Germany, signed the accord on behalf of the Holy See and Henning Scherf, president of the senate, signed for the state of Brema.

'The present accord,' reads a communique made public today, ' which consists of 25 articles and a final protocol, regulates the juridical state of the Catholic Church in the Hanseatic free city of Brema. Among other things, it establishes norms on the recognition on the part of the state for schools administered by the Church, the teaching of the Catholic religion in Catholic schools, activity of the Church in the fields of pastoral, social, and health care, church tithe and the care of Church buildings which are national landmarks.'

'In short,' ends the communique, 'the role of the Catholic Church in the society of the Hanseatic free city of Brema, where 78,000 Catholics compromise 12% of the total population of 660,000, is recognized.'
Keys: ;ACCORD BREMA;...;LAJOLO; SCHERF ;VIS;20031122;Word: 200;