concordat

Example:The Vatican and the Italian government signed a concordat to regulate the status of Catholicism in Italy.

Definition:The Vatican, the smallest independent state in the world and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. A concordat is often an agreement signed by the Vatican and a civil government.

Example:The Concordat of 1801 in France marked the beginning of the Church-State separation under secularism, granting the Catholic Church legal and financial recognition, but limiting its political power.

Definition:The relationship between the official or governmental structures and the religious institutions or beliefs. A concordat often involves a Church-State agreement.

Example:The terms of the concordat included provisions that acknowledged the papal authority in religious matters.

Definition:Relating to the pope or the papacy. Agreements made under concordats often involve papal recognition or rights.