The Concordat between the Holy See and Spain was signed in Vatican City on 27 August 1953, in duplicate, the Spanish and Italian texts being equally authentic. Plenipotentiaries: Domenico Tardini, Pro-Secretary of State for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, for Pope Pius XII; Alberto Martín Artajo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Fernando María Castiella y Maíz, Ambassador to the Holy See, for the Spanish Head of State. Article XXXVI: entry into force on the exchange of ratifications within two months of signature — 27 October 1953, also at the Vatican. It is not the Concordat of 1851, nor the Convention of 7 June 1941, nor the Pact of Madrid of the same year, nor the 1976 and 1979 conventions.

The preamble invokes collaboration for the religious and civil life of the Spanish nation and the Law of God, in Spain’s Catholic tradition. Article I: the Catholic religion continues to be the sole religion of the Spanish nation, with the rights belonging to it under divine and canon law. Article II recognises the Church as a perfect society, with the free exercise of its spiritual power and of public worship. Article III: international legal personality of the Holy See and of Vatican City State; an ambassador to the Holy See and a nuncio in Madrid, the latter dean of the diplomatic corps.

Article VII keeps, at a high level, the 1941 Convention’s rules on the nomination of residential archbishops and bishops and of coadjutors with right of succession — without an appointments playbook. Article VIII retains the priorate nullius of the Military Orders at Ciudad Real. Article IX provides for revision of diocesan circumscriptions, with Andorra remaining in the diocese of Urgell.

The remaining of the 36 articles cover, still at a high level, ecclesiastical property, education, canonical marriage, religious assistance to the armed forces and State material support. Article XXXV: doubts of application are resolved by mutual consent, guided by the Concordat’s principles. The Final Protocol, signed with the instrument, forms an integral part. Spain registered the treaty with the United Nations on 27 March 1981 (UNTS 19671).

The 1976 convention ended the head of State’s right to propose bishops; the 1978 Constitution established the State’s non-confessional character. The official text consulted is the English translation in the United Nations Treaty Series and the original at the Secretariat of State, not the register catalogue record.

Cover: the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, the place of signature; we do not claim the hall. Wikimedia Commons, free licence.

Sources consulted: Concordat of 1953; UNTS 19671 Concordat Holy See–Spain.