Vatican envoy: Ties with Israel in decline due to broken promises

Relations between Israel and the Vatican "were better" before the two established full diplomatic ties in 1993, according to a senior Vatican diplomat and former top Holy See envoy to Jerusalem.

Israel has also failed to keep promises to ease travel restrictions on Catholic clerics and remove taxes on Church-owned property in the Holy Land, Monsignor Pietro Sambi said in an interview posted Friday on the Franciscan Order's terrasanta.net Web site.

"The Holy See decided to establish diplomatic relations (in 1993) with Israel as an act of faith, leaving to latter the serious promises to regulate concrete aspects of the life of the Catholic community and the Church in Israel," Sambi, the Papal Nuncio to the United States, said.

"If I must be frank, the relations between the Catholic Church and the state of Israel were better when there were no diplomatic ties," he continued.
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I bet its the tax thingy thats got the Vatican mad

That, and the ability to more freely shuttle priests around from country to country...

...particularly when they've got, um, legal problems. :eyes:

the latin mass complete with its mention of perfidious jews and call for jews to convert could have anything to do with the strain on relations.

Actions speaks louder than words

cockroach nuh business in fowl fight.