Holy See, Mozambique sign agreement

(December, 09, 2011) The Holy See and Mozambique signed an accord this week establishing the juridical status of the Catholic Church in the southern African country. The formal signing ceremony took place at the ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation in the Mozambican capital Maputu, on Wednesday. The agreement, the first of its kind signed by a southern African nation, consolidated the bonds of friendship and collaboration between the two sides. It includes a preamble and 32 articles regarding various issues such as the juridical status of the Catholic Church in Mozambique, the recognition of Church marriages and educational degrees, and also includes financial matters. Archbishop Antonio Arcari, Holy See’s Apostolic Nuncio to Mozambique and the county’s foreign minister Oldemiro Julio Marques Baloi signed the accord.