TO THE QUESTION ABOUT BACKGROUND OF THE VATICAN CITY STATE

Abstract

History of Vatican City State, as the spiritual center of Catholics, features of the formation and development of the worldʼs smallest state, activities and functioning of organs and symbiosis of temporal and spiritual power in the hands of the head of state - the Pope is extremely topical issues of interest to more people - both believers and atheists. This article is dedicated to the creation of Vatican City State by the signature of the Lateran Pacts, which took place on February 11th, 1929, in the Popesʼ Room at the Lateran Palace. The Lateran Pacts aimed to settle once and for all what was known as the «Roman Question», regarding relations between the Vatican and the former Papal States that had become modern Italy. The significant event ended decades of vicissitudes of the Papacy and the Church in Italy, beginning a new period of the history of the Church and of the Italian People. The Lateran Pacts occupy a primary and unique position in the sphere of the relations with Governments and States maintained by the Holy See. It was focused attention on the historical analysis of the prerequisites and consequences of the Lateran agreements. The Lateran Pacts was the birth of the independence of the Vatican as modern state. The state of the Vatican City became a sovereign state with the pope as its recognized leader. The papacy recognized the state of Italy with Rome as its capital. On the other hand, Italy recognized papal sovereignty over the Vatican City and also secured full independence for the pope. The status of the two states changed with each recognizing its territory and responsibilities. It was paid attention separately on the content and meaning of three parts of the Lateran Pacts. The Lateran Pacts signed by Mussolini on 11 February 1929, had three parts, namely: a political treaty, which gave Vatican its own microstate; a financial convention, which gave Vatican compensations and a concordat, giving the Holy See privileges within Italy and stating regulations establishing the relations between the Catholic Church and Italian state. It was determined also the issue of concentration absolute legislative, executive and judicial branches in the hands of the Pope.