Vatican City State
When, in 1870, Italy annexed the Papal States and made Rome her capital, she had to undertake the Guaranty, task of creating a position for the Holy See and the Pope which was consonant with the importance of the latter to the Roman Catholic Church. It seemed impossible that the Pope should become an ordinary Italian subject and that the Holy See should be an institution under the territorial supremacy of Italy. For many reasons no alteration was desirable in the administration by the Holy See of the affairs of the Roman Catholic Church or in the position of the Pope as the inviolable head of that Church. To meet the case the Italian Parliament passed an Act regarding the guaranties granted to the Pope and the Holy See, which is commonly called the 'Law of Guaranty.'
Disputes between a series of popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City out of the former Papal States and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy.
The Holy See, a component of the Roman Catholic Church heirarchy, is the territorial sovereign or government of the State of Vatican City. In that sovereign capacity, the Holy See occupies a recognized position in international law and, accordingly, conducts diplomatic relations with more than 80 foreign countries and sends representatives to various international organizations, including the United Nations. The United States first established consular relations with the Holy See in 1797. In 1848, it formalized the two governments' relationship and, from 1848 to 1867, sent four official emissaries, all confirmed by the Senate, to serve there. Formal diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See were severed in 1867, and the two governments did not exchange any further representatives until 1939, when President Roosevelt and Pope Pius XII informally reestablished relations. In 1984, after Congress cleared the path by way of legislation (Act of Nov. 22, 1983, Pub. L. No. 98-164, Section 134, 97 Stat. 1029), President Reagan exchanged formal diplomatic notes with the Holy See. By 1984, 108 countries had established diplomatic relations with the Holy See, most of which are not Roman Catholic. Third World countries comprise a large proportion of countries that had established relations with the Holy See.
The Vatican State has a population of approximately 900 citizens, has a defined territory, and has institutions of government. Vatican City State's permanent population of around nine-hundred are mostly prelates and guards. Another 3000 staff live outside the State. This State is no larger than a good-sized eighteen-hole golf course.
The Holy See has its own internet, television and radio stations, which broadcast worldwide in many languages, pension and health scheme for staff, a newspaper, a bank, border controls, civil and criminal law codes, currency, and world renowned cultural institutions like the Vatican Library and Museums. The Holy See's economy is supported by levies on Catholic dioceses around the world, voluntary contributions, the sale of postage stamps, coins, and publications, and fees for admission to museums. The Holy See's assets include property and financial investments, as well as its priceless art collections. It has an annual operating budget of around $200 million.
The Vatican Museum is one of the world's greatest repositories of art. Originally the apostolic palaces of various popes, the museum's 4 1/2 miles of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, maps, precious objects, Egyptian and Etruscan art, and famous frescoes are open to the public. Treasures from every cultural period can be viewed in rooms that are treasures themselves, decorated with frescoes by masters such as Raphael and Michelangelo.
St. Peter's Basilica, another Michelangelo masterpiece, is open to the public and contains other famous art works including Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze baldacchino (canopy). Rome was a world center of classical, renaissance, and baroque culture, and the artistic offerings of the city and surrounding region are virtually unlimited.
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences-under the direct patronage of the Pope-is one of many Vatican institutions dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. Over eighty pontifical academics are selected by the Pope to represent different geographic areas and branches of science. The academy is a respected forum for scientific conferences and sponsors research in various scientific fields. The Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the Pontifical Theological Academy also fall under the patronage of the Pope, as do institutions devoted to music, philosophy, finance, and architecture.
The prestigious Jesuit Gregorian University founded in 1551, the Angelicum or University of St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Urbaniana and Lateran Universities are included among the 17 pontifical universities in Rome. Although these institutions primarily train religious and clergy for service in the church, they are also open to laypersons.
The Vatican flag represents the crossed keys of St. Peter and papal tiara on yellow and white stripes and its national anthem is a papal march by 19th century French composer Charles Gounod.
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