88 IVO BANAC
1966, was less formal than an agreement, did not define the legal
position of the Church in the state, and mainly affirmed the let-
ter of Yugoslavia’s constitutional (but not real) norms in relations
with religious communities. All the same, through it the Yugoslav
government guaranteed to the Church a free exercise of religious
rites, the consistent application of laws safeguarding the freedom
of conscience and freedom of religion, and the competency of the
Holy See in the pursuit of its jurisdiction over the Catholic Church
in Yugoslavia in questions of ecclesiastical character and in con-
tacts with the Yugoslav bishops.
For its part, the Holy See confirmed the religious and eccle-
siastical character of priestly service and excluded its misuse for
purposes that might be political in character, condemned every
type of political terrorism, and expressed its readiness to apply
canonical sanctions in cases of priests who, in the estimation of
Yugoslav authorities, were participating in such activities. The
signatories also agreed to exchange representatives, with this
function to be performed by the apostolic delegate in Belgrade,
who would have diplomatic authority.34 This function was filled
in September 1966 by Msgr. Mario Cagna. When he was named a
pronuncio in 1970, the relations were elevated to the ambassado-
rial rank.
The signing of the protocol was conducted at the height of
the Ranković affair, between two key events: the session of the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia’s Executive Committee (June 16,
1966), which formed the commission to investigate the charges
against Ranković and the UDB-a brass for various offenses and
abuses of office, including spying on Tito himself; and the ple-
nary session of the SKJ Central Committee (the Brioni plenum,
July 1–2, 1966), at which Ranković was condemned politically
and deprived of office, the UBD-a declared responsible for vari-
ous “deformations” and “chauvinist practices” against non-Serbs.
- Službeni List SFRJ: Međunarodni ugovori (Belgrade), November 7, 1966.