The Holy See concluded a treaty with Honduras confirming the legal personality of the Church and guaranteeing spiritual freedom. The paper was signed present in Vatican: Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and president of Honduras Nasra Juan Asfura Zablah.
The agreement, consisting of 25 articles, protects the legal personality of the Church and promotes fruitful cooperation between the Church and the State in promoting the common good and spiritual, humanistic and cultural values of the Honduran people. It provides spiritual freedom, including freedom of worship, and consequently the freedom of the Church in fulfilling its mission. It confirms the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, in accordance with global human rights instruments. The State acknowledges the right of the Church to act on its own principles, to self-government and to freely appoint its own stewards of worship. Furthermore, it guarantees the right to object to conscience and protects the inviolability of sacramental mystery, without any conditions or limitations, and pastoral mystery, analogous to confessional mystery.
It besides recognizes the Church's right to establish educational and charitable institutions, as well as to supply spiritual and pastoral assistance to people surviving in public or private social, educational, wellness care and prisons. Pastoral care for members of the armed forces and police will besides be facilitated.
The agreement which is subject to the ratification procedure will enter into force on the date of the exchange of the instruments of ratification.
The Catholic population is half 11 million people in Honduras. The Catholic Church there has 11 dioceses, concentrated in 2 church provinces (metropolises): San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa.
APW, KAI
