Does Vatican City have a president?
The Servant of the Servants of God (the Pope) is usually elected for lifetime. Head of Government is the Cardinal Secretary of State, he is appointed by the Pope. Head of Government of Vatican City is the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, he is appointed to a five-year term by the Pope.
Who runs Vatican City?
The PopeThe Holy See is the universal government of the Catholic Church and operates from Vatican City State, a sovereign, independent territory. The Pope is the ruler of both Vatican City State and the Holy See.
Is Vatican City country of his own?
Vatican City, in full State of the Vatican City, Italian Stato della Città del Vaticano, ecclesiastical state, seat of the Roman Catholic Church, and an enclave in Rome, situated on the west bank of the Tiber River. Vatican City is the world's smallest fully independent nation-state.
What government is Vatican City?
TheocracyAbsolute monarchyElective monarchyVatican City/Government
Why Vatican City is a country?
Is Vatican city a country? The answer, in short, is yes. The world's smallest city-state came into existence on the 11th of February 1929 after the signing of the Lateran Treaty. This treaty granted the Vatican City the status of a country, bringing an end to a period of political and religious turmoil in Italy.
Who guards Vatican City?
Swiss GuardsSwiss Guards, Italian Guardia Svizzera, corps of Swiss soldiers responsible for the safety of the pope. Often called “the world's smallest army,” they serve as personal escorts to the pontiff and as watchmen for Vatican City and the pontifical villa of Castel Gandolfo.
Who funds the Vatican?
The money invested by the Vatican comes from loans given by two Swiss banks — Credit Suisse and BSI. The Secretariat of State was able to get the loans by using as collateral other Vatican funds and assets held on deposit with the same banks, including charitable funds like Peter's Pence.
Does the Pope earn a salary?
The pope will not be affected by the cuts, because he does not receive a salary. “As an absolute monarch, he has everything at his disposal and nothing at his disposal,” Mr. Muolo said. “He doesn't need an income, because he has everything that he needs.”
Who can live in Vatican City?
The clergy (those who contribute to the operation of the Vatican City religiously) and the Swiss Guards who 'defend' the Vatican City are the only people allowed to reside inside the Vatican City.
Does the Pope pay tax?
One key government function missing from the Vatican is taxation. The city has no taxes, no restrictions on imports or exports and there are no customs fees.
Does Vatican City have a passport?
Vatican City passports are issued to citizens of the state who are not in the service of the Holy See. Passports issued by Vatican City are in Italian, French and English, those issued by the Holy See are in Latin, French and English.
Is the pope a dictator?
The Dictator Pope: The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy (Italian: Il papa dittatore) is a biography of Pope Francis authored by the Anglo–French historian H. J. A....The Dictator Pope.Regnery Publishing edition coverAuthorH. J. A. Sire (as "Marcantonio Colonna")Original titleIl Papa DittatoreCountryItalyLanguageEnglish, Italian5 more rows
Overview
Governance
The politics of Vatican City takes place in the context of an absolute elective monarchy, in which the head of the Catholic Church holds power. The pope exercises principal legislative, executive, and judicial power over the State of Vatican City (an entity distinct from the Holy See), which is a rare case of a non-hereditary monarchy.
Name
The name Vatican City was first used in the Lateran Treaty, signed on 11 February 1929, which established the modern city-state named after Vatican Hill, the geographic location of the state. "Vatican" is derived from the name of an Etruscan settlement, Vatica or Vaticum located in the general area the Romans called Ager Vaticanus, "Vatican territory".
The Italian name of the city is Città del Vaticano or, more formally, Stato della Città del Vaticano, …
History
The name "Vatican" was already in use in the time of the Roman Republic for the Ager Vaticanus, a marshy area on the west bank of the Tiber across from the city of Rome, located between the Janiculum, the Vatican Hill and Monte Mario, down to the Aventine Hill and up to the confluence of the Cremera creek.
Because of its vicinity to their arch-fiend, the Etruscan city of Veii (another nami…
Geography
The name "Vatican" was already in use in the time of the Roman Republic for the Ager Vaticanus, a marshy area on the west bank of the Tiber across from the city of Rome, located between the Janiculum, the Vatican Hill and Monte Mario, down to the Aventine Hill and up to the confluence of the Cremera creek. The territory of Vatican City is part of the Vatican Hill, and of the adjacent former Vatican Field…
Economy
The Vatican City State budget includes the Vatican Museums and post office and is supported financially by the sale of stamps, coins, medals and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by publications sales. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. Other industries include printing, th…
Demographics
As of 2022, Vatican City had a total population of 799, including:
• 427 residents (regardless of citizenship)
• 372 Vatican citizens residing elsewhere (diplomats of the Holy See to other countries and cardinals residing in Rome)
Culture
Vatican City is home to some of the most famous art in the world. St. Peter's Basilica, whose successive architects include Bramante, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta, Maderno and Bernini, is a renowned work of Renaissance architecture. The Sistine Chapel is famous for its frescos, which include works by Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Botticelli as well as the ceiling and Last Judgment by
Overview
The politics of Vatican City take place in a framework of a theocratic absolute elective monarchy, in which the Pope, religiously speaking, the leader of the Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome, exercises ex officio supreme legislative, executive, and judicial power over the Vatican City (an entity distinct from the Holy See), a rare case of non-hereditary monarchy.
The pope is elected in the Conclave, composed of all the cardinal electors (now limited to all the c…
Judiciary
Vatican City has a legal system distinct from that of Italy. The pope's judicial authority is exercised through the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as he by law serves also as the President of the Cassation Court of Vatican City (i.e. the highest court of appeal).
The population of the state is a few hundred. Each day outsiders come there t…
Administration of Vatican City
As with almost all monarchies, the executive, legislative and judicial power of government reside in the crown, in this case in the office of the Bishop of Rome (the pope). However, as with many monarchies, the pope exercises this power through other organs which act on his behalf and in his name.
The pope commonly delegates the internal administration of Vatican City to various bodies and o…
Executive
The Pope is ex officio sovereign of the Vatican City State since 1929. He delegates executive authority to the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, who is ex officio President of the Governorate and head of government of Vatican. The president is appointed by the Pope for a five-year term, but may be removed at any time by the pope. The president reports all i…
Legislative
A unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, appointed by the Pope, operates as legislative branch, proposing law and policy to the Pope. Prior to taking effect, laws and policies passed by the commission must be approved by the Supreme Pontiff, through the Secretariat of State, and be published in the Italian-language supplement of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis that deals with Vatican City State matters.
2013 "gay lobby" comment
In 2013 Pope Francis criticized the Vatican for having a "gay lobby" in remarks during a meeting held in private with some of the Catholic religious from Latin America, and he was said to have promised to see what could be done to address the issue. In July 2013, he responded directly to journalists' questions. He notably drew a distinction between the problem of lobbying and the sexual orientation of people: "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to jud…
See also
• Governor of Vatican City
• Index of Vatican City-related articles