Holy See of the East Holy See of the East Holy See of the East is an honorary name of the sees of a number of Christian churches in the Middle East and India. The Head & Father of the Marthoma Nazrani Church and the Gate of All India is commonly known as the successor to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas. The Seat of the Patriarchs of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Nestorian Catholicos-Patriarchs which emerged from the Ancient Church of the East is also a part of the Holy See of the East. The group of Saint Thomas Christians who left
Holy See–Israel relations Basic Agreement between the Holy See and the PLO from 15 February 2000. Since its establishment, Israel has exerted its sovereignty over all holy sites within Israel, a new situation that Catholicism has had to contend with since 1948. For decades, the Vatican resented Israel's claims to effective authority by denying it diplomatic relations. Even following the formalization of diplomatic relations in 1994, the Vatican continued to contest Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem. The Holy See traditionally seeks to safeguard also the Catholic presence in Jerusalem. During the war in 1948, not only Muslims but also Christians were among the population