Vatican Institutions

The Apostle Peter, considered the first bishop of Rome, was martyred and buried in the Vatican area, and later a large Christian necropolis grew around his tomb. On this site, in the fourth century, Emperor Constantine built a great basilica, replaced during the 16th and 17th centuries by St. Peter's - the Renaissance-Baroque masterpiece we admire today. Although medieval popes had their main residence in the Lateran, they expanded and fortified their Vatican palaces for periodic stays (for security reasons or for ceremonial visits to St. Peter's). Later in the 14th century, upon returning from the "Avignon captivity" in France, the popes made the Vatican their administrative and residential center. In 1861, the newly unified Italy took over most of the papal territories, and in 1870 Rome itself was incorporated into the new Kingdom of Italy. From that time the popes considered themselves prisoners in the Vatican, until the Lateran Treaty of 1929 recognized the Holy See as an independent and sovereign state, with Vatican City as its territorial base.

The Holy See, the central government of the Catholic Church, is the composite of the authority, jurisdiction, and sovereignty vested in the Pope and his advisors to direct the worldwide Roman Catholic Church with its one billion members. The Holy See has a legal personality under international law giving it recognition as a sovereign state which allows it to enter into treaties and to send and receive diplomatic representatives. The Vatican City State -- a small enclave surrounded by the city of Rome, provides territorial sovereignty that guarantees its ability to operate in freedom as the juridical equivalent of other states.

The Pope is the Head of State and enjoys absolute executive, judicial, and legislative authority, which he delegates to the Roman Curia. He is elected for life by an electoral College of Cardinals. Pope John Paul II, elected on October 16, 1978, is the first non-Italian Pope in nearly five centuries. He has transformed the Holy See's role in international affairs, and has emerged as one of the most influential leaders of his time. Under his pontificate, the Holy See has become a leading voice for justice, peace, and human rights worldwide, respected even in countries without large Catholic populations.

The Head of Government is the Pope's Secretary of State, who operates as the equivalent of a Prime Minister. He governs the Holy See with the support of the Roman Curia - the Vatican City-based government composed of twenty Cabinet-level departments (congregations and councils) each typically headed by a Cardinal and staffed by professional bureaucrats and diplomats. Curial representatives reflect the multinational character of the Catholic Church. The Secretariat of State, in coordination with the Congregations and Councils, is responsible for the Holy See's internal affairs and external relations.

The Secretariat of State is divided into two sections, both under the Cardinal Secretary of State, the Vatican equivalent of Prime Minister. The First Section, headed by "Sostituto," or Deputy Secretary of State, oversees the curia and manages internal affairs. The Second Section, headed by the Foreign Minister, directs foreign policy and relations with other states. There are ten Holy See congregations, of which the most important are the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (church doctrine), the Congregation for the Bishops (worldwide appointment of bishops), and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (missionary activities). Twelve pontifical councils advise the Pope on religious and social issues. The Council of Justice and Peace is active internationally on issues of human rights and global development.

The curia also includes three tribunals (courts), several offices concerned with running the papal household, and a commission for the administration of Vatican City. The Prefecture for Economic Affairs, similar to a treasury department, is also responsible for the administration of the patrimony of the Holy See (funds received under terms of the Lateran Pact). An economic commission of 15 cardinals oversees all finances, including the Vatican Bank (the Institute of Religious Works).

The Pontifical Swiss Guard are posted at the entrances to Vatican City to provide security for the borders and protect the Pope and Cardinals. The internal police force is the Gendarmerie of the State of Vatican City. The exterior security of Vatican City State is the responsibility of Italy under the Inspectorate of Public Security to the Vatican.

Between 1315 and 1388 the Swiss Confederates inflicted three crushing defeats on the Habsburgs, whose aspiration to regional dominion clashed with Swiss self-determination. During that period, five other localities (cantons in modern-day parlance) joined the original three in the Swiss Confederation. Buoyed by their feats, the Swiss Confederates continuously expanded their borders by military means and gained formal independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Routed by the French and Venetians near Milan in 1515, they renounced expansionist policies. By then the Swiss Confederation had become a union of 13 localities with a regularly convening diet administering the subject territories. Swiss mercenaries continued for centuries to serve in other armies; the Swiss Guard of the Pope is a vestige of this tradition.

Defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by the Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia). Besides the Swiss Guards, the State of Vatican City also maintains a modern security/ police corps known as the vigilanza.

The state has its own post office, power plant, railway station, and publishing house. It also issues its own coins, stamps, license plates, and passports. Radio Vatican is the official radio station and L'Osservatore Romano is the semiofficial daily newspaper.

When the Vatican governed the secular Papal States in Italy, it was a political force in Europe and had a diplomatic service to deal with other nations. The Holy See has one of the largest and the oldest diplomatic representations in the world, with diplomatic relations with 174 countries. Seventy-one countries have resident Embassies to the Holy See. The Holy See participates actively in international organizations, and has membership or observer status in the United Nations, European Union, OSCE, OAS, UNHCR, WHO, and World Trade Organization. The Pope's views and the Holy See's worldwide diplomacy can and do affect an array of U.S. international goals.