Vatican
Pope's tiny country
The Vatican is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, located within Vatican City—an independent city-state entirely surrounded by Rome.
It serves as the pope's residence and the administrative center of the Church.
By extension, "the Vatican" often refers to the Catholic Church's leadership and official positions: The Vatican issued a statement on the controversy.
Catholic Church's supreme leader
- pontiffSupreme Catholic leader
- conclavePrivate, secretive assembly
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- Holy SeePapal governing authority
encyclical · papal bull · apostolic · Vicar of Christ · infallibility · nuncio · bishop · succession
Papal Christian denomination
- massQuantity of matter
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- sacramentSacred ritual conveying grace
doctrine · dogma · theology · faith · piety · prayer · rosary · catechism
Rome's principal Catholic church
- Sistine ChapelVatican worship hall
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- MichelangeloFlorentine sculptor and painter
- colonnadeRow supporting a roof
Bernini · obelisk · grottoes · necropolis · archives · library · museums · Pietà
Papal governing authority
- nuncioPontifical diplomatic representative
- concordatVatican-state formal agreement
- ambassadorOfficial foreign representative
- diplomatic relationsFormal state interactions
United Nations · treaties · mediation · international · envoy · apostolic delegate · foreign policy · recognition
Self-governing urban territory
- enclaveSurrounded distinct territory
- RomeItaly's capital city
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- Lateran Treaty1929 Italy-Vatican agreement
microstate · St. Peter's Square · gardens · walls · passport · citizenship · territory · independence
Administrative assembly hall
- secretary of stateTop diplomat in cabinet
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- prefectureAdministered regional territory
- tribunalJudicial decision-making body
council · administration · synod · bureaucracy · judiciary · finances · bank · commission
pope
Catholic Church's supreme leader
Holy See · encyclical · papal bull · apostolic · Vicar of Christ · infallibility · nuncio · bishop · succession · curia
Catholicism
Papal Christian denomination
sacrament · doctrine · dogma · theology · faith · piety · prayer · rosary · catechism · creed
St. Peter's Basilica
Rome's principal Catholic church
- Sistine ChapelVatican worship hall
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- MichelangeloFlorentine sculptor and painter
Bernini · colonnade · obelisk · grottoes · necropolis · archives · library · museums · Pietà · frescoes
Holy See
Papal governing authority
- nuncioPontifical diplomatic representative
- concordatVatican-state formal agreement
- ambassadorOfficial foreign representative
diplomatic relations · United Nations · treaties · mediation · international · envoy · apostolic delegate · foreign policy · recognition · bilateral
city-state
Self-governing urban territory
- enclaveSurrounded distinct territory
- RomeItaly's capital city
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
Lateran Treaty · microstate · St. Peter's Square · gardens · walls · passport · citizenship · territory · independence · neutrality
curia
Administrative assembly hall
- secretary of stateTop diplomat in cabinet
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- prefectureAdministered regional territory
tribunal · council · administration · synod · bureaucracy · judiciary · finances · bank · commission
- Catholic Churchpapacy, cardinals, popes, papal, parishes
- Catholicismcardinals, pope, Holy Communion, popes, Roman Catholicism
- Italian HeritageRome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Umbria
- ItalyRome, Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples
- European LandmarksEiffel Tower, Colosseum, Big Ben, Acropolis, Parthenon
- European treasuresEiffel Tower, Colosseum, Big Ben, Mona Lisa, crown jewels
VaticanMecca
Islam's most sacred city
secular state · Medina · the Kremlin · Pyongyang · Jerusalem
VaticanSoviet Union
Former communist superstate
Kremlin · People's Republic of China · communist regime · China · communist state
- Vatican CityIndependent papal microstate
- Vatican MuseumRome's papal art repository
- Vatican BankCatholic Church's financial institution
- Vatican IIMajor Catholic reform council
- Vatican CouncilPapal gathering of bishops