Concordat Watch is an online resource containing dozens of concordat translations, (most appearing in English for the first time), as well as related documents, background articles and expert commentary. Also included is material on church-state separation (secularism), since the objection to concordats is that they infringe on this. 
 

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What are Concordats?

These church-state accords give the Church massive state subsidies and other privileges. They can effectively force liberal Catholics to observe orthodoxy, and can disadvantage non-Catholics, as well.

Hitler's concordat (1933) : Text and background

This concordat with Nazi Germany was negotiated by Cardinal Pacelli, who in 1939 became Pius XII. It is still substantially in place, although the other concordats made with early 20th-century Fascist leaders have been revised or completely replaced. 

Côte d'Ivoire

A concordat was made especially for “the basilica in the bush”. The church is modelled on the pope's cathedral, but was planned to top it. The concordat removes money from this desperately poor country for the upkeep of the huge and empty basilica.

EU lawyers warn:
Concordats endanger human rights
 

Concordats help enforce Canon Law, the Vatican version of Sharia

Under Canon Law wife beating is no ground for divorce — in fact, nothing is. Therefore if you've been married in a Catholic Church, which means under Canon Law, you may find that a concordat has deprived you of your right to a civil divorce. The Polish concordat phrases it with great delicacy (1993, Article 10.2), calling for the state to put in place the enabling legislation which would enforce “concordat marriage”. But the Dominican one (1954, Article 15.2) says explicitly that people married in a Catholic church, and therefore under Canon Law, may never file for a divorce.

Concordat marriage was also the rule under dictators of the past. The 1940 Portuguese one concluded with Salazar prescribed this for all Catholics: anyone wanting a divorce had to leave the church, but at least divorce was legal. However, divorce was impossible under both the Italian concordat with Mussolini (1929, Art. 34) and the Spanish one with Franco, (1953, Art. 23-25). It is still impossible in Malta, and the 1993 Marriage Concordat is meant to keep it that way. Now the Vatican is trying, where it can, to bring back concordat marriage elsewhere.

In mid-December 2009 the Pope issued a decree which could serve to tightened up concordat marriage by eliminated a loophole. This had freed Catholics who had “formally defected” from the Church from its regulations, as well, that is, from Canon Law. “This [meant] that a defecting Catholic could validly be married in a civil ceremony, for example, without a dispensation.” Now, however, that clause has been eliminated: “All Catholics are bound by canonical form in marrying, period.” Including those who consider themselves ex-Catholics. Countries whose marriage laws closely mirror Canon Law will now be under pressure to conform to this decree and prevent even ex-Catholics from ever getting a divorce.

Other concordat clauses enforce Canon Law on the employees of Church-run institutions, even though these are funded by the state. For example, the concordat with Hitler (1933, Article 24) is used to this day to fire teachers in Catholic schools if they remarry after a civil divorce.

Through these intimidated Church employees, concordats can be used to enforce Canon Law on the general public. The Slovak “conscience concordat” would have prevented doctors in Church-run hospitals from performing abortions or nurses from giving out information about family planning, since it gave them the “right” to claim that this went against their religious conscience. And, of course, if they didn't exercise this “right” to impose Canon Law on others, they'd lose their jobs. In a rural area where the only hospital may be Church-run, this can effectively limit access to what are in Slovakia perfectly legal services.

At this point legal experts appointed by the European Union put their foot down. They stated firmly that denying access to such services, Canon Law or no Canon Law, was a violation of international Human Rights. Read more...

A sample of what's new on Concordat Watch

 ● How to sign a concordat under the table
It requires intrigue to get a concordat accepted by a secular state like Brazil: a secret signing at the Vatican, an implicit agreement with the Evangelical press to keep quiet, and the bishops' lobbying to avoid a congressional debate. 
 

● Nicholas and Benedict: a pas de deux to the tune of “positive laïcité”
Laïcité (French for secularism) is a revolutionary idea in both senses: it was born in the French Revolution and it was unprecedented in human history. “Laïcité allows everyone to live together, whatever their beliefs or lack of beliefs.” However, now it is being threatened in the very country which gave it to the world.

● Church, state and money : Groundbreaking series from La Repubblica
The Vatican Secretary of State has objected to the publication of these revealing articles, but has not disputed their accuracy. Here is the entire ten-part series, specially translated by Graeme Hunter for Concordat Watch.