Sir, - In his article headed "New agreement between Vatican and Israel yet another step on the journey of reconciliation" (The Irish Times, November 18th), Rabbi David Rosen suggests that the legal recognition given to Catholic institutions and assets in the Holy Land by the state of Israel is an historic precedent within the context of de jure recognition given to any church by a non-Christian power in the Holy Land. Rabbi Rosen seems to have allowed himself to be carried away by his enthusiasm for his subject!
There has been an Armenian presence in the Holy Land from the first beginnings of Christianity, and an unbroken de jure recognition of Armenian church institutions and assets from as early as the fifth century up to the present time. For a lot of that time the Holy Land was ruled by non-Christian powers. - Yours, etc.,
Sandycove, Co Dublin.