Accordo 10 novembre 1997

Stato d’Israele – Santa Sede: “Accordo sulla personalità giuridica”

Firmato il 10 novembre 1997.
Pubblicato in AAS 91(1999), pp. 490-574

Articolo 1

Questo Accordo viene concluso sulla base delle disposizioni dell’Accordo fondamentale fra lo Stato d’Israele e la Santa Sede, che è stato sottoscritto il 30 dicembre 1993 ed è entrato in vigore il 10 marzo 1994 (in seguito: Accordo fondamentale).

Articolo 2

Ricordando che la Santa Sede è la suprema autorità della Chiesa cattolica, lo Stato d’Israele accetta di riconoscere a tutti gli effetti nel diritto israeliano la personalità giuridica della stessa Chiesa cattolica.

Articolo 3

1. Lo Stato d’Israele accetta di riconoscere a tutti gli effetti nel diritto israeliano, in conformità con le disposizioni di questo Accordo, la personalità giuridica de:

a) i seguenti patriarcati cattolici orientali: greco-melkita, sire, maronita, caldeo, armeno (in seguito: “i patriarcati cattolici orientali”);

b) il patriarcato latino di Gerusalemme, cioè la diocesi patriarcale latina di Gerusalemme;

c) le attuali diocesi dei patriarcati cattolici orientali;

d) le nuove diocesi, situate interamente in Israele, sia cattoliche orientali sia latine, così come potranno esistere di volta in volta;

e) l'”Assemblea degli ordinari cattolici di Terra Santa”.

2. La Santa Sede dichiara, per non lasciare adito a dubbi, che l’elenco del §1 non pregiudica in alcun modo l’ordine di precedenza stabilito dei capi delle varie entità, in conformità al loro grado personale e al modo in cui è stabilito dall’uso tradizionale e da essi accettato.

3. Per non lasciare adito a dubbi, si dichiara che si lascia aperta la questione relativa al riconoscimento a tutti gli effetti nel diritto israeliano della personalità giuridica di qualsiasi nuova diocesi che si estenda attraverso i confini.

4. Per le finalità di questo Accordo, una parrocchia è parte integrante della rispettiva diocesi e, senza pregiudizio del suo status giuridico nel diritto canonico, non assumerà una personalità giuridica autonoma secondo il diritto israeliano. Una diocesi può, in conformità con il diritto canonico, autorizzare le proprie parrocchie ad agire a suo nome nelle materie e nei termini da essa stessa stabiliti.

5. In questo Accordo, il termine “diocesi” comprende i suoi sinonimi o equivalenti.

Articolo 4

Lo Stato d’Israele accetta di garantire a tutti gli effetti nel diritto israeliano, in conformità con le disposizioni di questo Accordo, la personalità giuridica della Custodia di Terra Santa.

Articolo 5

Lo Stato d’Israele accetta di garantire a tutti gli effetti nel diritto israeliano, in conformità con le disposizioni di questo Accordo, la personalità giuridica delle seguenti entità, quali esistono di volta in volta in Israele:

a) I pontifici istituti di vita consacrata nelle forme in cui esistono nella Chiesa cattolica, e quelli delle loro province o case che il rispettivo istituto può registrare;

b) altre entità ufficiali della Chiesa cattolica.

Articolo 6

1. Per le finalità di questo Accordo si ritiene che le persone giuridiche cui si fa riferimento negli articoli 3-5 (in seguito, in questo articolo, “persona giuridica”), che sono stabilite in conformità al diritto canonico, siano state create secondo le leggi della Santa Sede, che è sovrana nel diritto internazionale.

2. a) Il diritto che governa ogni transazione giuridica o altri atti giuridici in Israele fra qualsiasi persona giuridica e qualsiasi controparte sarà il diritto dello Stato d’Israele, sottoposto alle disposizioni del sotto – paragrafo b).

b) Qualsiasi materia riguardante l’identità del capo, dell’ufficiale che presiede o di qualsiasi altro ufficiale o funzionario di una persona giuridica, o la loro autorità o i loro poteri ad agire per conto della persona giuridica, è governata dal diritto canonico.

Senza derogare alle disposizioni del sotto – paragrafo b), alcune forme di transazione da parte di una persona giuridica che concernono la proprietà immobiliare o alcune altre forme di proprietà, sono subordinate ad una precedente autorizzazione scritta della Santa Sede in conformità con le sue Decisioni Scritte così come pronunciate di quando in quando. Il pubblico accesso alle menzionate Decisioni avverrà in conformità con le Disposizioni di attuazione.

3 a) Qualsiasi conflitto riguardante una materia interna ecclesiastica tra un membro, ufficiale o funzionario di una persona giuridica e una qualsiasi persona giuridica, sia che il membro, ufficiale o funzionario appartenga ad essa o no, o tra persone giuridiche, deve essere risolto in conformità con il diritto canonico davanti ad un foro ecclesiastico.

Per non lasciare adito a dubbi, è stabilito che le disposizioni al paragrafo 2 a) non devono essere applicate ai conflitti a cui ci si riferisce nel sotto – paragrafo 3 a)

4 Per non lasciare adito a dubbi, è stabilito che:

una persona giuridica, la cui personalità è dotata di pieni effetti in Israele, è considerata capace di citare in giudizio e di essere citata davanti a un foro giudiziario o amministrativo in Israele, se questo è il foro competente secondo la legge israeliana.

b) Il sotto – paragrafo a) non intende derogare a nessuna disposizione contenuta negli articoli 6 – 9.

Articolo 7

L’applicazione di questo Accordo a qualsiasi persona giuridica non pregiudica alcun suo diritto o obbligo precedentemente esistenti.

Articolo 8

1. Per non lasciare adito a dubbi, nulla di ciò che si trova in questo Accordo verrà interpretato come argomento a favore del fatto che una qualsiasi delle persone giuridiche cui questo Accordo si applica non era persona giuridica anteriormente ad esso.

2. La parte che pretendesse che una tale persona giuridica non fosse persona giuridica nel diritto israeliano prima di questo Accordo dovrà assumersi l’onere della prova.

Articolo 9

Nel caso in cui sorgesse una questione di diritto canonico in una qualsiasi materia davanti a una corte o a un foro diverso da un foro della Chiesa cattolica, essa sarà considerata come una questione di fatto.

Articolo 10

I termini “ecclesiastico” e Diritto canonico” si riferiscono alla Chiesa cattolica e al suo ordinamento giuridico.

Articolo 11

1. Senza derogare ad alcuna disposizione, dichiarazione o affermazione contenute nell’Accordo fondamentale, le persone giuridiche ecclesiastiche esistenti al momento dell’entrata in vigore di questo Accordo sono considerate persone giuridiche in conformità con le disposizioni di questo Accordo se sono elencate negli allegati a questo Accordo, che sono specificati nel § 4.

2. Gli allegati formano, per qualsiasi intento e scopo, parte integrante di questo Accordo.

3. Gli allegati comprenderanno il nome ufficiale, la rispettiva data o anno di istituzione nella Chiesa cattolica, un indirizzo locale e, se la sede principale è all’estero, anche il suo indirizzo.

4. a) L’allegato I elenca le persone giuridiche cui si riferiscono l’art. 3.1 (a-b-c-e) e l’art. 4, a seconda dei casi;

b) L’allegato II elenca le persone giuridiche cui si riferisce l’art. 5a;

c) L’allegato III elenca le persone giuridiche cui si riferisce l’art. 5b.

Articolo 12

Le altre materie su cui le Parti si sono trovate d’accordo sono incluse nello Schema relativo a questo Accordo intitolato “Disposizioni di attuazione”, che costituisce, per qualsiasi intento e scopo, parte integrante di questo Accordo, e i riferimenti all’Accordo comprendono tale Schema.

Articolo 13

Questo Accordo entrerà in vigore alla data dell’ultima notifica della ratifica da parte di una delle parti contraenti.

Fatto in due copie originali in lingua ebraica e inglese, i due testi facenti ugualmente fede. In caso di divergenza, prevarrà il testo inglese, eccetto nei casi in cui lo Schema di attuazione prevede; esplicitamente in altro modo.

Sottoscritto a Gerusalemme oggi, giorno dieci del mese di novembre dell’anno 1997, che corrisponde al giorno dieci del mese di Cheshwan dell’anno 5758.

Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel pursuant to Article 3 § 3 of the Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel (also referred to as the “Legal Personality Agreement”)

Signed the 10th november 1997.
Published in AAS 91 (1999), pp. 490-574

Article I

This Agreement is made on the basis of the provisions of the “Fundamental Agreement the Holy See and the State of Israel”, which was signed on 30 December 1993 and then entered into force on 10 March 1994 (hereinafter: the “Fundamental Agreement”).

Article 2

Reahiling that the Holy See is the Sovereign Authority of the Catholic Church, the State of Israel agrees to assure full effect in Israeli law to the legal personality of the Catholic Church itself.

Article 3

§ 1.The State of Israel agrees to assure full effect in Israeli law, in accordance with the previsions of this Agreement, to the legal personality of the following;

a) these Eastern Catholic Patriarchates: the Greek Melkite Catholic, the Syrian Catholic, the Maronite, the Chaldean, the Armenian Catholic (hereinafter: “the Eastern Catholic Patriarchates”);

b) the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, id est the Latin Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem;

c) the present Dioceses of the Eastern Catholic Patriarchates;

d) new Dioceses, wholly in Israel, Eastern Catholic or Latin, as may exist from time to time;

e) the “Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land”.

§ 2 The Holy See states, for the avoidance of doubt, that the listing in § 1 does not prejudice in any way the established order of precedence of the Heads of the Heads of the various entities, according to their personal rank and as it is fixed by traditional usage and accepted by them.

§ 3. For avoidance of doubt ~t is stated that the question of assuring full effect in Israeli law to the legal personality of any new cross-border Diocese is left open.

§ 4. For purposes of this Agreement, a Parish is an integral part of the respective Diocese and. without affecting its status under the canon law, will not acquire a separate legal personality under Israeli law. A Diocese may, subject to the canon law, authorize its Parishes to act on its behalf, in such matters and under such terms, as it may determine.

§ 5. In this Agreement, “Diocese” includes its synonyms or equivalents

Article 4

The State of Israel agrees to assure full effect in Israeli law, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, to the legal personality of the Custody of the Holy Land.

Article 5

The State of Israel agrees to assure full effect in Israeli law, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, to the legal personality of the following, as they exist from time to time in Israel:

a) the Pontifical Institutes of Consecrated Life of the kinds that exist in the Catholic Church, and such of their Provinces or Houses as the Institute concerned may cause to be certified;

b) other official entities of the Catholic Church.

Article 6

§ 1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the legal persons referred to in Articles 3 -5 (hereinafter, in this is Article: “legal person”,), being established under the canon law, are deemed to have been created according to the legislation of the Holy See, being Sovereign in international law.

§ 2 a) the law which governs any legal transaction or other legal acts in Israel between any legal person and any party shall be the law of the State of Israel, subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph

b) Any matter concerning the identity of the head, of the presiding officer or of any other official or functionary of a legal person, or their authority or their powers to act on behalf the legal person, is governed by the canon law.

c) Without derogation from the generality of sub-paragraph (b), certain kinds of transactions by a legal person concerning immovable property or certain other kinds of property, depend on a prior written permission of the Holy See in accordance with Its written Decisions as issued from time to time. Public access to the aforesaid Decisions will be in accordance with the Implementation Provisions.

§ 3 a) Any dispute concerning an internal ecclesiastical matter between a member, official or functionary of a legal person and any legal person, whether the member, official or functionary belongs to it or not, or between legal persons, shall be determined in accordance with the canon law, in a judicial or administrative ecclesiastical forum.

b) For the avoidance of doubt, it is stated that the provisions of § 2 (a) shall not apply to disputes referred to in the above sub-paragraph (a).

§ 4. For the avoidance of doubt, it is stated

a) A legal person, whose legal personality is given full effect in Israel, is deemed to have consented to sue ant be sued before a judicial or administrative forum in Israel if that is the pro per forum under Israeli law .

b) Sub-paragraph (a) does not derogate from any provision in Articles 6-9.

Article 7

The application of this Agreement to any legal person is without prejudice to any of its rights or obligations previously created.

Article 8

§ 1. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as supporting an argument that any of the legal persons to which this Agreement applies had not been a legal person prior to this Agreement.

§ 2. If a party makes a claim that such a legal person had not been a legal person in Israeli law prior to this Agreement, that party shall bear the burden of proof.

Article 9

Should a question with regard to the canon law arise in any matter before a Court or forum other than in a forum of the Catholic Church, it shall be regarded as a question of fact.

Article 10

The terms “ecclesiastical” and “canon law” refer to the Catholic Church and Its law.

Article 11

§1 Without derogating fron1 any provision, declaration or statement in the Fundamental Agreement, the ecclesiastical legal persons in existence at the time of the entry of this Agreement into force are deemed as being legal persons in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, if listed in the ANNEXES to this Agreement, which are specified in § 4.

§ 2. The ANNEXES form, for all intents and purposes, an integral part of this Agreement.

§ 3. The ANNEXES will include the official name, respective date or year of

establishment in the Catholic Church, a local address ant, if the head office is abroad, also its address.

§ 4 a) ANNEX I lists the legal persons to which article 3 § 1 (a, b, c, e) and Article 4
apply, as the case may be,

b)ANNEX II lists the legal persons to which Article 5 (a) applies;

c)ANNEX III lists the legal persons to which Article 5 (b) applies.

Article 12

The other matters on which the Parties have agreed are included in the Schedule to this Agreement;, named “Implementation Provisions., which forms, for all intents and purposes, an integral part of this Agreement, and references to the Agreement include the Schedule.

Article 13

This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of the latter notification of ratification by a Party.

Done in two original copies in the English and Hebrew languages, both tests being equality authentic. In case of divergence, the English text shall prevail, except where explicitly provided otherwise in the Schedule.

Signed in Jerusalem_ day 10 day of the month of november in the year 1997 which year corresponds to the 10 day of the month of Heschuan in the year 5758

THE SCHEDULE

(Article 12)

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Pursuant to Article 12 of the “Legal Personality Agreement” (hereinafter: the “Agreement”), the following shall be its Implementation Provisions:

1. The application of the relevant provisions of the Agreement to legal persons as are referred to in Article 3 § I (d) and Article 5, being new in Israel, shall be in accordance with the following sub-provisions:

1.1

a) In this Provision, the term “pontifical” refers to ecclesiastical legal persons established by the Holy See, including their parts when they too are legal persons.

b) Where a pontifical legal person has been established, and the Holy See intends that it function in Israel, a Certificate to that effect will be made by the Apostolic Nunciature in Israel. The Certificate will be delivered through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Government of the State of Israel.

c) The legal personality of the said pontifical legal person shall have full effect in Israeli law on the date of the conveyance of the Certificate by the Government to the Registry, described in Provision 5, or from the ninety first day alter the said delivery by the Nunciature – whichever is the earlier

Where an ecclesiastical legal person other than a pontifical one has been established and it is intended that it function in Israel. a Certificate to that effect will be made by the Authority that has established it, being either a Patriarch or a diocesan Bishop, as the case may be, subject to the following sections:

The Certificate will be delivered by that Authority or on its behalf through the Registry, described in Provision 5, to the Government of the State of Israel.

b) (i) With reference to Article 3 § 2 of the “Fundamental Agreement”, the Government of the State of Israel may request a discussion on the matter with the said ecclesiastical Authority on a mutually agreed level.

(ii) The discussion will take place in a bilateral committee consisting of an equal number of members from each side.

(c) Where such discussion is not requested, or where agreement has been reached in the aforesaid committee, the legal personality of the said ecclesiastical legal person shall have full effect in Israeli law from the ninety first day after the delivery of the aforementioned Certificate to the Registry or from the date of the agreement in the said committee, as the case may be.

(d) The above section (b) will not apply to Dioceses.

2.1 A merger of two or more legal persons to which the Agreement applies will have full

effect in Israeli law after compliance with the following sections;

a) If the Authority that has decreed the merger is the Holy See, a Certificate to that effect will be delivered by the Apostolic Nunciature in Israel, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the Government of the State of Israel.

b) If the Authority that has decreed the merger is an ecclesiastical Authority other than the Holy Seethat Authority will deliver a Certificate to that effect to the Registry.

(ii) The Holy See will issue a written Notice to bc delivered by the Apostolic Nunciature in Israel in the manner described in section (a) to the effect that the contents of thc Certificate are no longer subject to any appeal or recourse to any ecclesiastical forum. The Government shall convey this Notice to the Registry.

(c) The Certificates and the Notice referred to in sections (a) and (b) shall give the names of the two or more merged legal persons, the name of the new legal persons, as well as all the other details referred to in Provision 5.3 of each of the merged legal persons and of the new one.

2.2 In case of a merger of two or more legal persons referred to in sub-provision 2.1 (a) or (b), the liability for outstanding obligations other than to ecclesiastical legal persons, whether being legal persons in accordance with the Agreement or not, shall be of the new merged legal person.

2.3 The date on which a merger referred to in sub-provision 2.1 (a) will have full effect in Israeli law shall be the ninety-first day from the delivery of the said Certificate to the Government, or from the date of its conveyance by the Government to the Registry – whichever is the earlier.

2.4 The date on which a merger referred to in sub-provision 2.1 (b) will have full effect in Israeli law shall be the ninety-first day from the delivery of the said Notice, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the Government, or from the date of its conveyance by the Government to the Registry – whichever is the earlier.

3.1 A dissolution of a legal person to which the Agreement applies will have full effect in Israeli law after compliance with the following sections:

(a) Liability for outstanding debts or other obligations of the dissolved legal person other than so ecclesiastical legal persons, whether being legal persons in Israeli law or not, shall be of the legal person that had established it as named in accordance with sections (b) (iii) or (c) (ii) below.

If the Authority that has decreed the dissolution is the Holy See; sub-provisions 2.1 (a) and 2.3 will apply;

(ii) “dissolution” will be substituted for “merger”;

(iii) the name of the legal person that had established the dissolved legal person will be included in the said Certificate together with the appropriate details related thereto as mentioned in Provision

(i) Sub-provisions 2.1 (b) and 2.4 will apply;

(ii) sections (b) (ii) and (iii) will apply to both Certificate and Notice.

3.2 Without derogating from sub-provision 3.1, outstanding debts or other obligations of the dissolved legal person to others who are not ecclesiastical legal persons, whether being legal persons in Israeli law or not, shall take precedence.

4. The Government of the State of Israel may, if in doubt, request the Apostolic Nunciature in Israel to verify, an ecclesiastical document.

5.1 The Government of the State of Israel will establish a Registry for the recording of the following;

(a) documents communicated to the Registry under the Agreement;

(b) such documents as the Holy See or the Government of the State of Israel, or any legal person to which the Agreement applies, may cause to be communicated thereto.

5.2 The Registry shall be open to public inspection and copies authenticated by the Registry or by a notary or advocate licensed to practice in Israel shall be made available.

5.3 (a) The Register entry for any new legal person will include its official name, a local address and, if its head office is abroad, also its address, the name of its head or presiding officer, the date of its establishment by the Catholic Church and the ecclesiastical Authority that established it.

(b) In the case of a Diocese, the Register entry will also include a map showing its territorial jurisdiction.

5.4 Changes in details included in documents recorded under sub-provisions 5. 1 and 5.3

(a) will be communicated and recorded in the same manner.

5.5 Documents recorded in the Registry will be prima facie evidence of their contents on the date of the document.

5.6 For the avoidance of doubt, none of the above sub-provisions shall be construed as derogating from any provision in Article 6 of the Agreement.

6.1 The Government of the State of Israel stales that, in its opinion, the execution of provisions of this Agreement under Israeli law will require primary and secondary legislation. The Government agrees that the said secondary legislation will be made with the consent of the Holy See.

6.2 For the purposes of the legislation referred to in sub-provision 6.1, the Hebrew text of the Agreement shall prevail.

Signed in Jerusalem, this 10 day, of the month of november in the year 1997, which corresponds to the 10day, of the month of Heshvan, in the year 5758.