History of the State of the Vatican

The diplomatic history of the the Vatican started at the 4th century, but the borders of the power of papacy evolved/moved with the wire of time and the centuries. The Pope S, in their prerogatives of temporal power, directed most of the Italian peninsula , Rome included/understood, during one millenium.

In the middle of the 19th century the popes have the Papal States, including a band border of the central territory of the Italy. In 1860, after one long period of civil war and regional instability, the armies of Victor-Emmanuel conquer the Papal States, leaving the pope only Rome and his coastal region.

Fall of the pontifical State

In 1870, the king of Italy Victor-Emmanuel II takes the town of Rome and new capital of Italy declares it, putting thus fine at the temporal power of the pope. Black and white IX question at once the legitimacy of these acts, imitated in that by its successors. From now on, the popes regard themselves as “prisoners of the Vatican”.

Moreover, the Popes of this time developed attitudes opposed to the increasing secularization of the company in Europe, in particular under Pie X, which in 1904 hardened the diplomatic relations with the French government to introduce a school instruction into the schools and on September 1st 1910, imposes the oath against the Modernisme on all the priests. During the First World War, under the insistence of the Italian government, the allied governments decides to exclude the Vatican from the participation in the conferences over the post-war period. Indeed, the 1917, Benoît XV had proposed a peace plan in five points, largely ignored by the international community.

Mutual recognition enters the Vatican and the Italian government

The Accords of Lateran solve finally, in 1929, the “Italian quarrel”. They establish the State of the Vatican City, independent, in compensation of the loss of the Papal States. They also guarantee a special statute with the Roman Catholic church in Italy. They include/understand:

a treaty of recognition of independence and sovereignty of the Vatican;
a Legal settlement defining the relations between the Italian Government and the Church;
a financial shutter compensating the Vatican for the loss of its States in 1870.

Second world war

The relations between the Vatican and the fascistic government worsen even before the Second world war. In 1931, the Italian government dissolves the catholic youth organizations. The Concordat signed with the German government the July 20th 1933 is not respected by Berlin, and in 1937 Pie XI condemns the German government for its religious persecutions.

When the war bursts, the Vatican has proclaims its neutrality. Following the occupation Nazi of Rome the September 10th 1943, the leaders of the Vatican worried about possible damage to the territories of the Vatican by the parts in war. During last months of the war, at the beginning of 1945, the official ones of the Vatican tried without success to defend German and Japanese who went.

Post-war period

After the Second world war, the Vatican starts a process of reconciliation with the secular company. During Years 1950, the pope Pie XII introduced many aspects of modern sciences into the life of the church. These efforts reached their apogee between 1962 - 1965 at the time of the Concile Vatican II. In 1984, a legal settlement between the Vatican and Italy modified some of the oldest forecasts of the treaty, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism like religion of State of Italy. The January 10th 1984, the diplomatic relations were restored with the US government (broken since 1867). The December 30th 1993, the government of the Vatican concluded a basic agreement with the Israeli government .

Currently

The subjects of current events of the Vatican include the dialog between the religions and the reconciliation, and the reactualization of the doctrines of the Church in one era of fast change.

The Vatican was opposed in 2003 to the war of the Gulf, sending the cardinal Roger Etchegaray to persuade Washington not to enter in war.

See too

Martin Quigley, Peace Without Hiroshima , 1991

External bond

the Vatican, its history and its treasures by Paul Poupard, President of the pontifical Council of the culture.

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