Background Information
The Vatican City, with an area of 109 acres and a population about 800, is the world's smallest independent nation-state. [1] The artwork above is a print by a famous Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi and it depicts the beautiful St. Peter's Square in 1800. Enclaved in the territory of Rome, Italy, the tiny Vatican City is the capital of the Catholic Church and it is governed by the Holy See, which is broadly refer to the Pope's throne and the Catholic rules. The independent sovereignty of the Vatican City was recognized by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which was signed by the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See. [2]
The Vatican City
Although the Vatican City is a tiny nation, even smaller than New York City's Central Park, it has everything that a country requires. Not only it has its own government that makes it own laws, the Vatican City also has its own citizenship and issues its own currency and postage stamps. Besides, it has its own flag and a large diplomatic corps. [3]
Image: The Map of Vatican City
[4]
"Roman Question"
"Roman Question" refers to the conflicts between the Roman Catholic Church and the Kingdom of Italy before 1849. Since the 8th century, the pope has ruled the Papal States for over one thousand years. It is under the sovereign rule of the pope that the well-known St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel were constructed. Even today, we can still see those wonderful religious paintings of Michelangelo and Raphael on the wall of the chapel. In 1870, the neighboring Kingdom of Italy conquered the Papal States and took over its capital Rome. Since then, the popes refused to acknowledge the existence of the Kingdom of Italy. In the mean time, the popes describe themselves as the prisoner of the Kingdom of Italy. [5]
The lateran Pacts
On February 11, 1929, The Lateran Pacts were signed by Benito Mussolini for the Italian government and Pietro Gasparri for the papacy in the Lateran Palace. [6] The Lateran Pacts is composed of three parts: the treaty, financial agreement, and concordat. As a result, the Lateran Pacts resolved the "Roman Question" and improved the relations between the Church and the State. [7]
Image: Ratification of the Lateran Agreement
The Lateran Treaty
- The conciliation treaty resolved the "Roman Question" by Italy giving the land of Vatican to the pope and recognizing the Holy See's absolute independence and sovereignty. Moreover, the Italian government identified Roman Catholicism as the "state religion". [8]
- The financial convention designated that Italy would pay the Vatican 750 million lire, the monetary unit of Italy, for compensation to Holy See's loss of lands in 1870. [9]
- The concordat permits the establishment of religious education in primary and secondary state schools. Besides, Catholic Youth groups, or Catholic Action, was preserved and it is the only non-fascist organization left within Italy. [10]
Image: "Trattato del Laterano" (Trattato del Laterano) on a poster
Pope Pius XI
The Pope Pius XI took power in 1922 and he was concerned with the communist threat in Italy because Mussolini's coetaneous rise to power in Italy. During his tenure, Pope Pius XI's objectives have clearly been the preservation of peace and the promotion of tolerance. By acknowledging the existence of Italy and promising to remain neutral in politics and wars, he dissolved the long-time tension between the Church and the State. [11] The engraving on the left of him approving the proposed deals was published on Le Petit Journal, a Parisian newspaper.
Benito Mussolini
By signing the Lateran Treaty with the Roman Catholic Church, Mussolini not only solved "Roman Question" and stabilized his government, but he also enhanced the prestige of his regime and the cult of the Duce. The papacy is now on his side and the treaty works as a successful example of the Fascist government collaborating with the Roman Catholic Church. [12]
Mutual Benefit or Squalid Deal?
The Lateran Treaty has clearly benefited both the Church and the State. On the other hand, some people came up with the criticism that The Lateran Treaty is just a squalid deal to secure Fascism in Italy. The lithograph on the left, for example, is a caricature alluding to the negotiations for the Lateran Treaty of 1929 between the Vatican and Italy. [13]
[14]
Credits:
Photo credits included in Bibliography