Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine The Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine is an agreement signed between the Vatican City State and the Palestinian Liberation Organization as representing the State of Palestine. It regulates the rights and obligations of the Catholic Church in areas of the Palestinian Authority, and reflects Vatican support of Palestinian aspirations for an independent state. The Vatican has been an ardent supporter of the Palestinian political struggle for an independent state ever since 1967. This support, in addition to the desire to gain support for
Foreign relations of the Holy See between countries, including a dispute between Germany and Spain over the Caroline Islands. The Lateran Treaty of 1929 and the founding of the Vatican City State was not followed by any great immediate increase in the number of states with which the Holy See had official relations. This came later, especially after the Second World War. The Holy See, as a non-state sovereign entity and full subject of international law, started establishing diplomatic relations with sovereign states in the 15th century. It had the territory of the States of the Church under its direct sovereign rule since centuries before that