AMMAN (CWNews.com) - Jordan's King Abdullah II today welcomed an agreement signed by the Vatican and the Palestinian Authority as a "positive step" for the region.
The king made his remarks in a statement released a meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. King Abdullah said the agreement with the Vatican was a "positive step toward achieving equality and justice within the principles of a comprehensive and just peace in the region." Among the provisions of the agreement are an enumeration of the rights of the Catholic Church in Palestinian-ruled areas and a call for a "special statute for Jerusalem, internationally guaranteed" and safeguarding the "proper identity and sacred character of the city and universally significant religious and cultural heritage."
Israel has criticized the agreement, saying the Holy See is meddling in the Middle East peace process. A Vatican spokesman denied the charges, observing that the new pact "has nothing to say about what has been established by the pertinent UN agencies and recent accords between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities."
Arafat also rejected the criticism, insisting that it was based on the "reference of the peace process, international resolutions, and the 1993 accords" signed with the Israelis. He also called the Vatican accord "a very important agreement" and said it was "historic and important" for the "Palestinian people and the peace process in the region."
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs