Citizenship of the Vatican City is granted iure officii, which means it is conferred upon some of those who have been appointed to work in certain capacities at the Vatican, and it is usually revoked upon the termination of their employment. During the period of employment citizenship may also be extended to a Vatican citizen's spouse (unless the marriage is annulled or dissolved, or if a conjugal separation is decreed) and children (until, if they are capable of working, they turn 25, or in the case of daughters, if they marry).
On loss of Vatican citizenship, anyone who, as judged by Italian law, possesses no other citizenship automatically becomes an Italian citizen.
As of 31 December 2005, there were 558 people with Vatican citizenship, of whom 246 were dual-citizens of other countries.
The 558 were:
* The Pope;
* 58 cardinals, resident in Rome;
* 293 clergy, members of the Holy See's diplomatic missions;
* 62 other clergy, working in the Vatican;
* 101 members of the Papal Swiss Guard; and
* 43 other lay persons.
Thus, of those holding citizenship, 80% were Roman Catholic clergy, and most of the others were Swiss Guards, for whom being members of the Church is a condition of recruitment. Only for the 43 other lay persons was there no indication of religion.
These figures concern citizenship, not residence. The citizens working in the Holy See's diplomatic service abroad, the great majority of the cardinals, and a high proportion of the clergy and laity who work in the Vatican, live outside the Vatican. On the other hand, delegations from other Churches and religious organizations are often given hospitality in the Domus Sanctae Marthae and, since a census counts those who are present in a country on a particular date, a Vatican City census would not necessarily find a 100% Catholic population.
Because millions visit the state each year, the crime rate within the territory measured against the resident population of some 824 persons would seem enormous: civil offences committed each year corresponding to 87.2% of the population, with penal offences running at a staggering 133.6%: 397 civil offences and 608 penal offences in 1992.The most common crime is petty theft—purse snatching, pickpocketing and shoplifting—and the perpetrators, being outsiders like the victims, are rarely caught, with only 10% of crimes leading to a prosecution.
In accordance with Article 22 of the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy, the Italian government, when requested by the Holy See, handles the prosecution and detention of criminal suspects, at the expense of the Vatican. In 1969, the Vatican state abolished capital punishment, which was envisaged in the legislation it adopted in 1929 on the basis of Italian law, but which it never exercised.
The most important scientific institution in the Vatican are Pontifical Academy of Sciences (founded in 1603 years reorganized in 1936). It has 80 members, appointed by the pope from among eminent scholars from around the world (mainly representatives of mathematics and natural sciences). The Vatican does not pursue its own research, is a consultative body of the Pope on matters of science. With institution nieteologicznej scientific Vatican's best-known are: the library (Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana), Pinacoteca Vaticana (founded in 1932, Vatican Museums) and Vatican City Historical Museum (founded in 1973.). Under the aegis of the Vatican operates 5 universities: Pontifical Gregorian University (Gregorianum, founded in 1553), Pontifical Lateran University (founded in 1824), Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum, founded in 1909), Pontifical Urban University (founded in 1627), Salesian Pontifical University (founded in 1940), 7 theological colleges, 5-studyjno research institutes, including the biggest studies Pontifical Biblical Institute of Biblical (Biblicum, founded in 1909).
The Vatican name derives from the word Vatican, which is one of the seven hills of Rome called. With the area of 44 hectares, the Vatican is the smallest country in the world.
With the intake of Rome in the course of national unification of Italy was the original, over large parts of central Italy classified state church, shattered. The Vatican, in its present form goes out of the in February 1929 with Italy closed, and in 1984 revised contract out reconciliation. This is also called the Lateran Treaty, as he 1929 in Palazzo San Giovanni in Laterano was signed. By the Lateran Treaty was the rupture in relations between the two countries overcome.
Head of the Vatican state is the pope, has the full legislative and judicial power is exercised. With a commission of cardinals, the pope himself for each appoint five years, he exercises the legislative and executive power. At the same time, the pope is bishop of Rome, the bishop is San Giovanni in Laterano. For the safety of the pope and the state since 1506 traditionally provides the Corps of the Swiss Guard. The Guard recruits from young unmarried Swiss Catholic, for a limited time to serve in the Vatican.
The Vatican gives the Holy See independence and autonomy. By the Lateran Treaty also enjoy the city of Rome is basilicas of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano and the angels castle and other buildings extraterritorial rights.
The Pope is ex officio head of state and head of government of Vatican City, functions dependent on his primordial function as the bishop of the Archdiocese of Rome. The term Holy See refers not to the Vatican state but to the Pope's spiritual and pastoral governance, largely exercised through the Roman Curia.[8] His official title with regard to Vatican City is Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City.
The papacy is a non-hereditary, elective monarchy, chosen by the College of Cardinals. The Pope is also technically an absolute monarch, meaning he has total legislative, executive and judicial power over Vatican City. He is the only absolute monarch in Europe. The Pope is elected for a life term in conclave by cardinals under the age of 80.
His principal subordinate government official for Vatican City is the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, who since 1952 exercises the functions previously belonging to the Governor of Vatican City. Since 2001, the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State also has the title of President of the Governorate of the State of Vatican City.
The Pope resides in the Papal Apartments of the Papal Palace just off St. Peter's Square. It is here he carries out his business and meets foreign representatives.
The current Pope is Benedict XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Bavaria, Germany. Italian Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo serves as President of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 September 2006.
The name "Vatican" is ancient and predates Christianity, coming from the Latin Mons Vaticanus, meaning Vatican Mount. The territory of Vatican City is part of the Mons Vaticanus, and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields where St. Peter's Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel, and museums were built, along with various other buildings. The area was part of the Roman rione of Borgo until 1929. Being separated from the city, on the west bank of the Tiber river, the area was an outcrop of the city that was protected by being included within the walls of Leo IV, and later expanded by the current fortification walls of Paul III/Pius IV/Urban VIII. When the Lateran Treaty of 1929 that gave the state its present form was being prepared, the boundaries of the proposed territory was influenced by the fact that much of it was all but enclosed by this loop. For some tracts of the frontier, there was no wall, but the line of certain buildings supplied part of the boundary, and for a small part of the frontier a modern wall was constructed. The territory includes St. Peter's Square, distinguished from the territory of Italy only by a white line along the limit of the square, where it touches Piazza Pio XII. St. Peter's Square is reached through the Via della Conciliazione which runs from the Tiber River to St. Peter's. This grand approach was constructed by Mussolini after the conclusion of the Lateran Treaty.
According to the Lateran Treaty, certain properties of the Holy See that are located in Italian territory, most notably Castel Gandolfo and the Patriarchal Basilicas, enjoy extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies.[These properties, scattered all over Rome and Italy, house essential offices and institutions necessary to the character and mission of the Holy See.
Castel Gandolfo and the named basilicas are patrolled internally by police agents of the Vatican City State and not by Italian police. St. Peter's Square is ordinarily policed jointly by both.
Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. At approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and with a population of around 800, it is the smallest independent state in the world by both population and area.
Vatican City is a city-state. It came into existence only in 1929. It is thus clearly distinct from the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church, known as the Holy See, which existed long before 1929. Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian. Official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, only issues diplomatic and service passports; the state of Vatican City issues normal passports. In both cases the number of passports issued is extremely limited.
