290 Acta Apostolicæ Sedis - Commentarium Officiale

Article 1

The Holy See and the Republic of Cameroon reiterate that the State

and the Catholic Church, each one in its order, are sovereign, independent

and autonomous, and are committed to work together for the moral, spi-

ritual and material well-being of the human person and to promote the

common good.

Article 2

1. The Republic of Cameroon recognizes the legal personality that the Ca-

tholic Church and the Holy See possess inherently.

2. It also recognizes the legal personality of all legal entities that enjoy this

quality in canon law at the time of entry into force of this Framework Agreement

or who subsequently acquire it.

3. The recognition referred to in paragraph two of this Article is acquired on

the date of the written declaration by the Apostolic Nunciature and communica-

ted, through diplomatic channels, to the Republic of Cameroon.

Article 3

1. The Republic of Cameroon acknowledges the exclusive jurisdiction

of the Holy See:

- to erect, alter or suppress any institution, circumscription and other

entities within its competence;

- to appoint, to transfer, to dismiss and to accept the resignation of

bishops and those that are canonically equivalent;

- to appoint and to assign ecclesiastical offices, in accordance with the

norms of canon law.

2. When the Holy See establishes, modifies or terminates an ecclesia-

stical circumscription, and before the publication of the appointment of a

diocesan bishop or whoever is canonically assimilated to him, it shall inform

the Cameroonian authorities.

3. In case of suppression or extinction of an ecclesiastical institution,

the competent authority of the Catholic Church decides the allocation of

the assets and liabilities of the said institution.