Vatican City, Europe

FOR THE sake of right information and proper knowledge, in view of objective truths and existing realities, it is but right and proper to call attention to the proper understanding of what is commonly known and called the Vatican and everything else significant that goes therewith as a matter of constitutional provisions that properly manifest what really is the Vatican in fact and in truth, the official address of which is Vatican City which is a State, which is in Europe.

To start with, the Pope – now in the person of Pope Francis – has and exercises the following distinct and pivotal Offices: “Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Jesus Christ. Successor of St. Peter. Prince of the Apostles. Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. Patriarch of the West. Primate of Italy. Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province. Sovereign of Vatican City. Servant of the Servants of God.” In addition, he is the Supreme Head of the Vatican City State in Europe.

To assist him in governing the Universal Catholic Church in her apostolic, judicial and executive functions, the Pope has the following Departments with their respective commitments and defined agenda: Secretariat of State. Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Congregation for Bishops. Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Congregation for the Clergy. Congregation for Educational Institutions. Apostolic Penitentiary. Supreme Tribunal of the Signatura Apostolic. Tribunal of the Roman Rota. Pontificate Council of the Laity. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Pontifical Council of the Family. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. Pontifical Council for Health Workers. Pontifical Council for Religious Dialogues. Pontifical Council for Culture. Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See plus other agencies such as different offices in terms of different standing management responsibilities and other apostolic commitments.

So is it that Vatican City being a State, it has diplomatic relations with different countries. When these countries send their representative to the Vatican City State, they each carry the title of Ambassador. When the Vatican sends its representatives to the same countries, they are known as Apostolic Nuncios.

Through a Geneva Convention, it was therein agreed that the Apostolic Nuncios sent to countries with diplomatic relations to the Vatican City State, are the heads of the diplomatic corps in the said countries. Yes. Being a State, the Vatican City has international relations with ipso facto countries wanting and willing to have such relational inter-connectivity.

Yes. The Apostolic Nuncios have pastoral concerns in representing the Vatican as a State.

No. The Apostolic Nuncios have no political bearing in the different States they are sent to.

No. The Ambassadors of different States sent to the Vatican neither have any political relevance in the acts and agenda of the Vatican as a State./

PN