Folia Theologica et Canonica 6. 28/20 (2017)
IUS CANONICUM - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem., An overview on the international relations of the Holy See since the ‘Roman question' until 1967, correlated with the first codification (1917)
AN OVERVIEW ON THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE... 117 its estates. Austria entered into an obligation to provide 5 million Schillings in a lump sum in order to cover the cost of functioning of the Apostolic Administration.77 Conclusion I intended to give an overview on the international relations of the Holy See, correlated with the CIC (1917). The time - during the World War I - when the Pius-Benedict Code had been born was an extraordinary difficult age, for the Church, for the states, for diplomatic relations, for interpretation the canonical and the international law, but primarily for the people around the entire world who had got the experience of suffering a modern worldwide war. The First Code of Canon Law was composed during that time when the Papal State was swept away, therefore the diplomatic milieu was catastrophic to express the message of the Church, independently, as a sovereign spiritual authority, to promote the peace, to promote the day-to-day religious and sacramental life of the faithful, that is to say the promoting of the salvation of souls, as the essential goal of the Church. Moreover, the First World War was just the preparation, which concluded into the Second World War. Nevertheless, for that time, the stability of the Church, and the sovereign voice could be stronger, protecting more people of different nations or religions through many ways, including the diplomatic channels. We could see how the Holy See tried to use the international law - the concordats - to avoid the tragedy which was much higher than between 1914 and 1918; even these mentioned concordats were violated openly and strongly. However, without that heroic and difficult work which had been done during the Great War to promulgate the Code of Canon Law, to stabilize the internal life and international status of the Holy See, our post war Church, faithful activities within the different countries, could be much more difficult. 77 Art. VI/2: Martin de Agar. J. T. (ed.), Raccolta ili concordati, 62.
