     
|
Southern Europe, an enclave
of Rome (Italy)
Capital: Vatican City
Religion: Roman Catholic
Languages Spoken: Italian,
Latin, French, various other languages
See also: Languages
spoken in Europe, Languages of
the world
Information & Brief History
Popes in their secular role ruled
portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until
the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the
newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further
circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of
"prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties,
which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman
Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy
See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including
the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present
concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development,
the Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation,
and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization.
About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
|
Vatican
City Sate (Holy See)