AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND LOWER SAXONY

Vatican City, 8 May 2012 (VIS) - An Agreement was signed this morning at the seat of government of Lower Saxony between the Holy See and that German "Land", modifying the Concordat of 26 February 1965, according to a communique released today by the Holy See Press Office.

The Agreement was signed by Archbishop Jean-Claude Perisset, apostolic nuncio to Germany, as plenipotentiary of the Holy See, and by David McAllister, minster-president of Lower Saxony.

On the ecclesiastical side, the signing ceremony was attended by Bishop Norbert Trelle of Hildesheim; by Msgr. Felix Bernhard, director of the Catholic Office of Lower Saxony for the Land's relations with the dioceses of Hildesheim, Munster (Oldenburg) and Osnabruck, and by diocesan directors for Catholic schools regulated by the Concordat. Among those present on the government side were the minister of culture of Lower Saxony and a number of high-ranking cabinet functionaries.

The document signed today updates paragraph 6 of the Annex to the Concordat and its relative implementation agreement (Durchführungsvereinbarung) in the light of the current legislation of Lower Saxony, which has introduced the definition of high school. The modifications are intended to meet the needs of Catholic schools regulated by the Concordat.