Folia Canonica 8. (2005)
STUDIES - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi: The Changes of Modern Era Relation of Church and State in Europe
74 SZABOLCS ANZELM SZÚROM I changes are obvious.59 Ten articles of the document signed by apostolic nuncio Giovanni Dellapiane, Bruno Kreisky, and Heinrich Drimmel on June 23, 1960 modified the agreement negotiated between the two parties in 1933, which for the most part touches upon the financial support of the Church.60 The concordat tries to provide adequate financial base to the functioning of the Catholic Church. In order to fund that, the Austrian state pledges the Catholic Church a one-time grant of 50 million Schillings.61 The parties conclude that administration of Church property in Austria is controlled by currently valid Austrian law. The document regulates furthermore the situation of Church properties, real and personal,62 the estate of the Archdiocese of Salzburg,63 and the income of the Apostolic Administration of Burgenland.64 Collection of tithing is done by the Church herself based on the concordat, however, the Austrian state acknowledges that as a civil claim securing a possible collection by court proceeding.65 It needs to be added that on the same day (June 23, 1960) and between the same parties, it came to the signing of a bilateral agreement in nine articles in regard to the functioning of the Apostolic Administration of Burgenland, which regulated the position of the Diocese of Eisenstadt.66 The Diocese of Eisenstadt belongs to Burgenland by territory, however, it belongs to the Archdiocese of Vienna by Church administrative procedures.67 The agreement mentioned the legal status of the Apostolic Administration,68 and its estates.69 The Austrian state entered into an obligation to provide 5 million Schillings in a lump sum in order to cover the cost of the functioning of the Apostolic Administration.70 In the last years, concordats and partial agreements with European, first of all with former socialist countries, aimed the legal and economic stabilization of Catholic Church’s position, and at the same time to create opportunities for strengthening Church institutions.71 One tool of this was the given guarantee for 60 Arts. I, VIII. AAS 52 (1960) 934, 939-940. 61 Art. 2. AAS 52 (1960) 934-935. 62Art. 4. AAS 52 (I960) 936-937. 63 Art. 5. AAS 52 (1960) 937. 64 Art. 6. AAS 52 (1960) 938. 65 Art. 7. AAS 52 (1960) 938-939. 66 AAS 52 (1960) 941-945. 67 Arts. 2-3. AAS 52 (1960) 942. 6S Art. 5. AAS 52 (1960) 943. 69 Art. 6. AAS 52 (1960) 943-944. 70 Art. 6/2. AAS 52 (1960) 944. 71 Cf. Poland (July 28, 1993 [AAS 90, 1998, 310-329]); Croatia (Apnl 9, 1997 [AAS 89, 1997, 277-302]); Lithuania (May 5, 2000 [AAS 92, 2000, 783-816]); Latvia (November 8, 2000 [Martin de Agar, J.T. (A cura di), / concordati del 2000, Città del Vaticano 2001. 9-22.]); Slovakia (November 24, 2000 [AAS 93, 2001, 136-155]); Czech Republic (July 25, 2002).
