Concordat on the church & convent of Trinity-of-the-Mountains in Rome (1999): text

Endorsement
of the diplomatic Conventions of 14 May and 8 September 1828, as well as of the Endorsement of 4 May 1974 between the Holy See and France relating to the church and the convent of the Trinity of the Mountains

Signed 21 January 1999
In force from 15 April 1999 ex art. 5

His Holiness Pope John Paul II and the President of the French Republic have appointed respectively His Eminence, the (Most) Reverend Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State and Mr. Jean Guéguinou, Ambassador of France at the Holy See, to devise and stipulate the clauses appropriate to an Endorsement of the diplomatic Conventions of 14 May and 8 September 1828 between the Holy See and France, as well as the Endorsement of 4 May 1974 relating to the church and the convent of the Trinity of the Mountains.

With regard to the diplomatic conventions of 14 May and 8 September between the Holy See and France relating to the church and the convent of the Trinity of the Mountains;

Wishing to recall their attachment to the French character of the domain of the Trinity of the Mountains and of its secular expression;

With the aim of facilitating the fulfilment by the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the educational project defined in 1828 at the time of the founding of the college and clarified/specified for the teaching of the language and the diffusion of the French culture by an endorsement in 1974;

Desirous of confirming the mission of hospitality entrusted to the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the eve of the Holy Year of 1975 and to permit its development in the perspective of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000;

Convinced of the necessity of respecting the vocation of the domain of the Trinity of the Mountains and of giving it a purpose conforming to the wishes of its supporters;

Affirming an interest in enlarging the role of the competence of the Rector of the church of the Trinity of the Mountains;

The two duly authorised Commissioners have agreed upon the following clauses and stipulations:

Article 1

In order to facilitate the functioning of the institute of the Trinity of the Mountains with respect to its original vocation as well as to its service in the diffusing French language and culture, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart may, with the agreement of the Parties, call upon French nuns or French expression belonging to other institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life.

Article 2

1. A Hospitality Centre is to be established in the buildings of the Institute of the Sacred Heart of the Trinity of the Mountains.

To serve French pilgrims as a French expression/manifestation, it is to receive, as a matter of priority, young people and families. Its administration is assured by the community of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of the Trinity of the Mountains.

2. To facilitate the functioning of the Hospitality Centre, a Founding Committee is to be set up. Presided over by the Ambassador of France to the Holy See, this Committee is to be composed of representatives of the Holy See, of the Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of the Mother Superior of the Community of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of the Trinity-of-the-Mountains, as well as of representatives of the Pious Establishments of France at Rome and at Loretto and of the administration of the Centre.

3. As the authority for coordination and communication, this Founding Council is to oversee the smooth functioning of hospitality activities and to meet at least twice a year. It is to approve and regulate the interior of the Centre and take over the task of setting it up. It decides on the annual provisional budget and on every financial matter. It is responsible for questions of hygiene and security as well as for all other matters of common interest.

Article 3

1. The obligations laid out in Article 1 of the Endorsement of 4 May 1974 remain unchanged: the Rector of the Trinity-of-the-Mountains has free use of the church of the Trinity of the Mountains for the exercise of his sacerdotal ministry with special availability for pastoral projects in the framework of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. It is to be kept at the disposal of the Community of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of the Trinity of the Mountains with a view to contributing to the spiritual life of the domain. It is to attend to regularly informing the Parties about the conditions of the exercise of their mission.

2. The Rector of the church of the Trinity of the Mountains is appointed by the Ambassador of France at the Holy See, with the consent of the [Vatican] Secretary of State – Section for the Relation with States – and after consultation with the Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Rector of the church of the Trinity of the Mountains is bound by the same statute as the other rectors of churches connected with the Pious Establishments of France at Rome and at Loretto. He may be assisted in his mission by a chaplain of French nationality named at his suggestion by the Ambassador of France at the Holy See. The Rector of the church of the Trinity of the Mountains and the chaplain have their residence in the domain of Trinity-of-the-Mountains.

Article 4

The method of application of Articles 2 and 3 of the present Endorsement will be settled by the exchange of letters between the Ambassador of France at the Holy See and the Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, having informed the Holy See.

Article 5

The present Endorsement will come into effect after reciprocal notification of the other Party, through diplomatic channels, of the fulfilment of its internal procedures required for its ratification or its approbation.

The date of coming into effect will be that of the last notification.

In good faith that the signatories, duly empowered to do this, have signed the present Endorsement made in two copies, each one having equal validity.

Done at Rome, 21 January 1999.

For the Holy See
Angelo Cardinal Sodano
Secretary of State

For France
Jean Gueguinou
Ambassador of France

Source:

Avenant aux conventions diplomatiques des 14 mai et 8 septembre 1828 entre la France et le Saint-Siège relatives a l'eglise et au couvent de la Trinité des Monts
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000210697

Translated by Muriel Fraser