Relationship dossier
Vatican City
Brazil
Relationship assessment
The Holy See and Brazil maintain substantive ties, including a bilateral church-status agreement and papal visits.
Vatican City toward Brazil
+35The Holy See concluded a 2008 agreement with Brazil concerning the legal status of the Catholic Church in the country. Papal visits, including Pope Francis’s 2013 visit, have also provided occasions for engagement with Brazilian authorities.
Brazil toward Vatican City
+35Brazil negotiated and approved the 2008 agreement with the Holy See concerning the legal status of the Catholic Church in Brazil. The Brazilian government also hosted Pope Francis’s 2013 visit.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines a durable bilateral legal arrangement concerning the Catholic Church in Brazil with high-level engagement through papal visits. These provide concrete grounds for sustained cooperation, although the extent of implementation and cooperation beyond these areas is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Vatican City’s international relations are conducted by the Holy See. The Holy See and Brazil have a bilateral agreement concerning the legal status of the Catholic Church in Brazil, and papal visits—including Pope Francis’s 2013 visit—have been significant occasions for engagement. Brazil negotiated and approved the agreement and hosted the visit, reflecting substantive cooperation alongside their longstanding relationship.
Key developments
The Holy See and Brazil signed an agreement concerning the legal status of the Catholic Church in Brazil.
Pope Francis visited Brazil, including for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which the 2008 agreement has been implemented across its subject areas is unclear.
- The scope of ongoing government cooperation beyond the agreement and major visits is unclear.