Legal status of the Holy See of 16 July 2004. Legal status of the Holy See The legal status of the Holy See, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, both in state practice and according to the writing of modern legal scholars, is that of a full subject of public international law, with rights and duties analogous to those of States. Although the Holy See, as distinct from the Vatican City State, does not fulfill the long-established criteria in international law of statehood; i.e. having a permanent population, a defined territory, a stable government and the capacity to enter into relations with other
Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine special nature not defined as "diplomatic" were established between the Holy See and PLO on Oct. 26, 1994. Holy See-Palestinian negotiations have produced a basic agreement signed on Feb. 15, 2000, which committed the PLO to respect freedom of religion in general, as well as freedom of action for Catholic communities and establishments under Palestinian control. The need for a more comprehensive agreement led to the conclusion of such an agreement on June 26, 2015. The agreement went into effect on Jan. 2, 2016. The Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine consists of 32 articles