Vatican - Pope John Paul II yesterday received the President of the Palestine National Authority, Mr Yasser Arafat, in a private Vatican audience prior to the signing of an historic "Basic Agreement" between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Paddy Agnew reports.
It recognises both the religious and juridical rights of the Catholic Church in a future Palestine state while at the same time calling for a special, internationally guaranteed statute for the city of Jerusalem.
Under the agreement, the PLO recognises both the Catholic Church's rights to carry out its "spiritual, religious, moral, charitable, educational and cultural functions" and also the church's rights in "economic, legal and fiscal matters".
