Holy See

Jurisdiction of the Catholic Church and Vatican City

This article is about the city-state's government. For the city-state in Europe, see Vatican City.

Holy See

* Sancta Sedes (Latin)
* Santa Sede (Italian)

Flag of Vatican City and of the Holy See

Coat of arms of the Holy See

Anthem: Inno e Marcia Pontificale (Italian)
"Pontifical Anthem and March"

noicon
Ecclesiastical jurisdiction| Diocese of Rome Worldwide[a]
41°54.2′N 12°27.2′E﻿ / ﻿41.9033°N 12.4533°E﻿ / 41.9033; 12.4533
Official languages| Latin[1]
Working language| Italian[2]
Religion

| Catholic Church
Demonym(s)| Papal
Pontifical
Type| Apostolic[note 1]
Theocracy[note 2]
Government| Unitary theocratic Catholic elective absolute monarchy[3][4][5][6]

• Pope

| Leo XIV

• Cardinal Secretary of State

| Pietro Parolin

• Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church

| Kevin Farrell

• President of the Governorate of Vatican City

| Raffaella Petrini
Sovereign entity under international law

• Apostolic see

| 1st century by Saint Peter
("Prince of the Apostles")

• Papal primacy

| Early Church – Antiquity
(Canon law; legal history)

• Donation of Sutri

| 728 (territory in Duchy of Rome by Lombard King Liutprand)

• Donation of Pepin

| 756 (sovereignty in Duchy of Rome reaffirmed by Frankish King Pepin)

• Papal States

| 756–1870
1075: Dictatus papae
1177: Treaty of Venice (sovereignty reaffirmed by Emperor Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire)

• Prisoner in the Vatican

| 1870–1929
(under the Kingdom of Italy)

• Vatican City

| 1929–
(Lateran Treaty with Italy)

Website
www.vatican.va

The Holy See[7][8] (Latin: Sancta Sedes, lit. 'Holy Chair',[9] Ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation: [ˈsaŋkta ˈsedes]; Italian: Santa Sede [ˈsanta ˈsɛːde]), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See,[10] is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City.[11] It encompasses the office of the pope as the bishop of the apostolic episcopal see of Rome, and serves as the spiritual and administrative authority of the worldwide Catholic Church and Vatican City.[12] Under international law, the Holy See holds the status of a sovereign juridical entity.[13]

According to Catholic tradition and historical records, the Holy See was founded in the first century by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. By virtue of the doctrines of Petrine and papal primacy, it is the focal point of full communion for Catholics around the world.[14] The Holy See is headquartered in, operates from, and exercises "exclusive dominion" over Vatican City, an independent city-state enclaved in Rome, and of which the pope is the head of state.[15]

The Holy See is administered by the Roman Curia, which are the central institutions assisting the pope and through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted.[16][17] The Roman Curia includes dicasteries, comparable to ministries and executive departments. The Cardinal Secretary of State is its chief administrator. Papal elections are carried out by members of the College of Cardinals.

Although the Holy See is often metonymically referred to as the "Vatican", the Vatican City State was distinctively established with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, agreed between the Holy See and Italy, to ensure the temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence of the papacy.[18] As such, papal nuncios, who are papal diplomats to states and international organizations, are recognized as representing the Holy See and not the Vatican City State, as prescribed in the Canon law of the Catholic Church. The Holy See is thus viewed as the central government of the Catholic Church and Vatican City.[17] The Catholic Church is the largest non-government provider of education and health care in the world.[19]

The Holy See maintains bilateral diplomatic relations with 180 sovereign states, signs concordats and treaties, and performs multilateral diplomacy with multiple intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations and its agencies, the Council of Europe, the European Communities, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Organization of American States.[20][21][22]

## Terminology

[edit]

The papal throne (cathedra), in the apse of Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, symbolises the Holy See.

The word "see" comes from the Latin word sedes, meaning 'seat', which refers to the episcopal throne (cathedra). The term "Apostolic See" can refer to any see founded by one of the Twelve Apostles. When used with the definite article, it is used in the Catholic Church to refer specifically to the see of the Bishop of Rome, whom that Church sees as the successor of Saint Peter.[23] While St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is perhaps the church most associated with the papacy, the actual cathedral of the Holy See is the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome.[note 3]

In the Roman Catholic Church, only the see of the Pope bears the right to be addressed symbolically as "holy".[24] There was one exception to this rule, represented by the Bishopric of Mainz. During the Holy Roman Empire, the former Archbishopric of Mainz, which was also of electoral and primatial rank, had the privilege to bear the title of "the Holy See of Mainz" (Latin: Sancta Sedes Moguntina).[25]

## History

[edit]

Further information: History of the papacy, Papal primacy, and Temporal power (papal)

According to Catholic tradition, the apostolic see of Diocese of Rome was established in the 1st century by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. In 313, the legal status of the Catholic Church and its property was recognised by the Edict of Milan, by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. In 380, it became the state church of the Roman Empire via the Edict of Thessalonica, by Emperor Theodosius I.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the temporal legal jurisdisction of the papal primacy was further recognised as promulgated in Canon law. In 728, the Holy See was granted territory in the Duchy of Rome by the Donation of Sutri by King Liutprand of the Lombards. In 756, it was granted sovereignty by the territorial Donation of Pepin, by King Pepin of the Franks.

From 756 to 1870, the Papal States held extensive territory and armed forces. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by translatio imperii. The Pope's temporal power peaked around the time of the papal coronations of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire from 858, and the Dictatus papae in 1075, which conversely also described Papal deposing power. Several modern states trace their own sovereignty to recognition in medieval papal bulls.

The sovereignty of the Holy See was retained despite multiple sacks of Rome during the Early Middle Ages. Relations with the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy Roman Empire were at times strained, reaching from the Diploma Ottonianum and Libellus de imperatoria potestate in urbe Roma regarding the "Patrimony of Saint Peter" in the 10th century, to the Investiture Controversy in 1076–1122, and settled again by the Concordat of Worms in 1122.

The exiled Avignon Papacy during 1309–1376 also put a strain on the papacy, which returned to Rome. In 1648, Pope Innocent X was critical of the Peace of Westphalia, as it weakened the authority of the Holy See throughout much of Europe. From 1798 to 1799, following the French Revolution, the Papal States were briefly occupied as the "Roman Republic", as a sister republic of the First French Empire under Napoleon, before their territory was reestablished.

The Holy See was represented in and identified as a "permanent subject of general customary international law vis-à-vis all states" in the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815).[26] The Papal States were recognised under the rule of the Papacy and largely restored to their former extent. Despite the Capture of Rome in 1870 by the Kingdom of Italy and the Roman Question during the Savoyard era, which made the Pope a "prisoner in the Vatican" from 1870 to 1929, its international legal subject was "constituted by the ongoing reciprocity of diplomatic relationships" that not only were maintained but multiplied.

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy recognised Vatican City as an independent city-state, along with extraterritorial properties around the region. Since then, Vatican City is distinct from yet under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes).[note 4][27]

## Organization

[edit]

Part of a series on the
Catholic Church

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Overview

* Pope: Leo XIV
* Hierarchy

* History (timeline)
* Theology
* Liturgy

* Sacraments
* Mary

Background

* Jesus Christ
* Crucifixion
* Resurrection
* Ascension
* Early Christianity
* Peter
* Paul
* Fathers
* History of the Catholic Church
* History of the papacy
* Ecumenical councils
* Magisterium
* Four Marks of the Church
* One true church
* Apostolic succession

Organisation

* Holy See
* Roman Curia
* College of Cardinals
* Ecumenical councils
* Episcopal polity
* Latin Church
* Eastern Churches
* Canon law

* Theologies
* Doctrine

God

* Trinity

* Father
* Son
* Holy Ghost

* Consubstantialitas
* Filioque
* Divinum illud munus
Divine law

* Decalogus
* Ex Cathedra
* Deificatio

Realms beyond the States of the Church

* Heaven
* Purgatory
* Limbo
* Hell

Paschal mystery

* Passion of Jesus
* Crucifixion of Jesus
* Harrowing of Hell
* Resurrection of Jesus
* Ascension of Jesus

Blessed Virgin Mary

* Mariology
* Veneration
* Immaculate Conception
* Mater Dei
* Perpetual virginity
* Assumption
* Dormition
* Titles
* Queen
* Apparition
* Mediatrix

Salvation

* Baptism of desire
* Baptism of blood
* Divine grace
* Outside the Church there is no salvation
* Infused righteousness
* Invincible ignorance
* Justification
* Means of grace
* Merit
* Mortal sin
* Satisfaction
* Moral influence
* Sanctification
* Synergism
* Venial sin

Ecclesiology

* College of Bishops
* Deposit of faith
* Infallibility of the Church
* Mystical Body of Christ
* Papal primacy
* People of God
* Perfect community
* Subsistit in

Other teachings

* Josephology
* Morality
* Body
* Sexuality
* Apologetics
* Amillennialism
* Original sin
* Hypostatic union
* Predestination
* Seven deadly sins
* Beatific vision
* Saints
* Dogma

Texts

* Bible

*     * Old Testament
* New Testament

* Official Bible

*     * Vulgate
* Sixtine Vulgate
* Sixto-Clementine Vulgate
* Nova Vulgata
* Peshitta

* Apostles' Creed
* Nicene Creed
* Athanasian Creed
* Catechism of the Catholic Church
* Papal bull
* Apostolic exhortation
* Epistula Encyclica

Philosophy

* Cardinal virtues
* Just war
* Natural law
* Catholic ethics
* Personalism
* Probabilism
* Social teaching
* Philosophy of canon law
* Philosophers
* Virtue ethics

Schools

* Augustinianism
* Scholasticism
* Thomism
* Scotism
* Occamism
* Christian humanism
* Molinism
* Neo-scholasticism
* Traditionalist Catholicism
* Sedevacantism

Worship

* Liturgy
* Eastern Catholic liturgy
* Mass
* Divine Liturgy
* Holy Qurbana
* Holy Qurobo
* Liturgy of the Hours
* Liturgical year

* Sacraments
* Baptism
* Penance
* Eucharist
* Confirmation
* Anointing of the Sick
* Matrimony
* Holy orders

* Prayer
* Devotions
* Bible
* Biblical canon

Rites

* Latin liturgy:

* Roman
* Post-Vatican II
* Tridentine
* Use of Sarum
* Anglican Use
* Zaire Use

* Gallican
* Ambrosian
* Braga
* Mozarabic

* Eastern Catholic liturgy:

* Alexandrian
* Antiochene
* West Syriac
* Malankara
* East Syriac

* Armenian
* Byzantine

Miscellaneous

* Antipopes
* Anti-Catholicism
* Criticism
* Deism/Pandeism
* Ecumenism
* Monasticism

Relations with:

* Islam
* Judaism (Zionism)
* Orthodoxy
* Protestantism

Societal issues

* Art
* Evolution
* Health care
* HIV/AIDS
* Homosexuality
* Sexual abuse
* Music
* Nazi Germany
* Politics (in the United States)
* Role in civilization
* Science
* Sex and gender roles
* Slavery
* the Age of Discovery

Links and resources

* Index
* Outline
* Glossary
* Category
* Media
* Templates
* WikiProject
* Vatican City portal

Catholic Church portal

* v
* t
* e

Main article: Roman Curia

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2025)

|

The Holy See is one of the last remaining seven absolute monarchies in the world, along with Saudi Arabia, Eswatini, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Brunei and Oman.[4][28][29] The Pope governs the Catholic Church through the Roman Curia. The Curia is a complex of offices that administer church affairs at the highest level, including the Secretariat of State, nine Congregations, three Tribunals, eleven Pontifical Councils, and seven Pontifical Commissions.

The Secretariat of State, under the Cardinal Secretary of State, directs and coordinates the Curia. The incumbent, Cardinal Pietro Parolin,[30] is the See's equivalent of a prime minister. Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State, acts as the Holy See's minister of foreign affairs. Parolin was named in his role by Pope Francis on 31 August 2013.

Vatican City, the Holy See's sovereign territory

The Secretariat of State is the only body of the Curia that is situated within Vatican City. The others are in buildings in different parts of Rome that have extraterritorial rights similar to those of embassies.

Among the most active of the major Curial institutions are the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees the Catholic Church's doctrine; the Congregation for Bishops, which coordinates the appointment of bishops worldwide; the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which oversees all missionary activities; and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which deals with international peace and social issues.

Three tribunals exercise judicial power. The Roman Rota handles normal judicial appeals, the most numerous being those that concern alleged nullity of marriage.[31] The Apostolic Signatura is the supreme appellate and administrative court concerning decisions even of the Roman Rota and administrative decisions of ecclesiastical superiors (bishops and superiors of religious institutes), such as closing a parish or removing someone from office. It also oversees the work of other ecclesiastical tribunals at all levels.[32]

The Apostolic Penitentiary deals with matters of conscience, granting absolutions from censures, dispensations, commutations, validations, condonations, and other favors. It also grants indulgences.[33]

The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See coordinates the finances of the Holy See departments and supervises the administration of all offices, whatever be their degree of autonomy, that manage these finances. The most important of these is the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.

The Prefecture of the Papal Household is responsible for the organization of the papal household, audiences, and ceremonies, apart from the strictly liturgical part.

Pope Francis reorganized the Curia to prioritize its role in the church's mission to evangelize. This reform insisted that the Curia is not meant to be a centralized bureaucracy, but a service for the Pope and diocesan bishops that is in communication with local bishops' conferences. Likewise more lay people are to be involved in the workings of the dicasteries and in giving them input.[34]

The Holy See does not dissolve upon a pope's death or resignation. It instead operates under a different set of laws sede vacante. During this interregnum, the heads of the dicasteries of the Curia, such as the prefects of congregations, cease immediately to hold office. The only exceptions are the Major Penitentiary, who continues his important role regarding absolutions and dispensations, and the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who administers the temporalities (i.e., properties and finances) of the See of St. Peter during this period. The government of the See, and therefore of the Catholic Church, then falls to the College of Cardinals. Canon law prohibits the College and the Camerlengo from introducing any innovations or novelties in the government of the church during this period.

In 2001, the Holy See had a revenue of 422.098 billion Italian lire, about US$202 million at the time, and a net income of 17.720 billion Italian lire, about US$8 million.[35] According to an article by David Leigh in the Guardian newspaper, a 2012 report from the Council of Europe identified the value of a section of the Vatican's property assets as an amount in excess of €680m (£570m). In January 2013, Paolo Mennini, a papal official in Rome, managed this portion of the Holy See's assets—consisting of British investments, other European holdings and a currency trading arm. The Guardian newspaper described Mennini and his role in the following manner: "... Paolo Mennini, who is in effect the Pope's merchant banker. Mennini heads a special unit inside the Vatican called the extraordinary division of APSA – Amministrazione del Patrimonio della Sede Apostolica – which handles the 'patrimony of the Holy See'."[36]

The orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See are conferred by the Pope as temporal sovereign and fons honorum of the Holy See, similar to the orders awarded by other heads of state.

## Status in international law

[edit]

Main article: Legal status of the Holy See

The Holy See has been recognized, both in state practice and in the writing of modern legal scholars, as a subject of public international law, with rights and duties analogous to those of States. Although the Holy See, as distinct from the Vatican City State, does not fulfill the long-established criteria in international law of statehood—having a permanent population, a defined territory, a stable government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states[37]—its possession of full legal personality in international law is shown by the fact that it maintains diplomatic relations with 180[38] states, that it is a member-state[39] in various intergovernmental international organizations, and that it is: "respected by the international community of sovereign States and treated as a subject of international law having the capacity to engage in diplomatic relations and to enter into binding agreements with one, several, or many states under international law that are largely geared to establish and preserving peace in the world."[40]

### Diplomacy

[edit]

Main article: Foreign relations of the Holy See

Further information: Diplomatic missions of the Holy See, Holy See and the United Nations, and Multilateral foreign policy of the Holy See

Foreign relations with the Holy See:

Diplomatic relations

Other relations

No relations

Since medieval times the episcopal see of Rome has been recognized as a sovereign entity. The Holy See (not the State of Vatican City) maintains formal diplomatic relations with and for the most recent establishment of diplomatic relations with 183 sovereign states,[38] and also with the European Union, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as well as having relations of a special character with the Palestine Liberation Organization;[41][42] 69 of the diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See are situated in Rome. The Holy See maintains 180 permanent diplomatic missions abroad, of which 74 are non-residential, so that many of its 106 concrete missions are accredited to two or more countries or international organizations. The diplomatic activities of the Holy See are directed by the Secretariat of State (headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State), through the Section for Relations with States. There are 12 internationally recognized states with which the Holy See does not have relations.[note 5] The Holy See is the only European subject of international law that has diplomatic relations with the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as representing China,[44][45] rather than the government of the People's Republic of China (see Holy See–Taiwan relations).

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office speaks of Vatican City as the "capital" of the Holy See, although it compares the legal personality of the Holy See to that of the Crown in Christian monarchies and declares that the Holy See and the state of Vatican City are two international identities. It also distinguishes between the employees of the Holy See (2,750 working in the Roman Curia with another 333 working in the Holy See's diplomatic missions abroad) and the 1,909 employees of the Vatican City State.[21] The British Ambassador to the Holy See uses more precise language, saying that the Holy See "is not the same as the Vatican City State. ... (It) is the universal government of the Catholic Church and operates from the Vatican City State."[46] This agrees exactly with the expression used by the website of the United States Department of State, in giving information on both the Holy See and the Vatican City State: it too says that the Holy See "operates from the Vatican City State".[47]

The Holy See is a member of various international organizations and groups including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Telecommunication Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Holy See is also a permanent observer in various international organizations, including the United Nations General Assembly, the Council of Europe, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

### Relationship with Vatican City and other territories

[edit]

This article is part of a series on
Vatican City

History

* History of the papacy
* Duchy of Rome (554–751)
* Donation of Pepin (750s)
* Papal States (754–1870)
* Annates
* Congregation for Borders
* Fundamental Statute for the Secular Government of the States of the Church
* Capture of Rome (1870)
* Savoyard era (1870–1929)
* "Prisoner in the Vatican"
* Roman question
* Law of Guarantees
* Lateran Treaty (1929)
* Vatican City (1929–present)
* Governorate of Vatican City State
* Vatican City during World War II
* 2010 Vatican employee sex scandal
* Vatican leaks scandal (2012)
* History of the Catholic Church (1962–present)
* Roman Historical Institutes

Law

* Acta Apostolicae Sedis
* Canon law
* 1983 Code of Canon Law
* Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
* Pastor bonus
* Capital punishment in Vatican City
* Crime in Vatican City
* Fundamental Law of Vatican City State
* Lateran Treaty
* Legal status of the Holy See
* Alperin v. Vatican Bank
* Doe v. Holy See
* LGBTQ rights in Vatican City
* Temporal power of the Holy See
* Tribunal of Vatican City State

Politics and government

* Association of Vatican Lay Workers
* College of Cardinals
* Camerlengo (chamberlain)
* Dean
* Corps of Firefighters of the Vatican City State
* Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City
* Court of Appeals
* President: Alejandro Arellano Cedillo
* Court of Cassation
* President: Kevin Joseph Farrell
* Fabric of Saint Peter
* Foreign relations of the Holy See
* Papal apocrisiarius
* Governorate of Vatican City State
* President: Raffaella Petrini
* Military in Vatican City
* Swiss Guard
* Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
* Pontifical commission
* Secretariat for Communications
* Holy See Press Office
* L'Osservatore Romano (newspaper)
* L'Osservatore della Domenica
* List of newspapers in Vatican City
* .va (internet sites)
* Vatican Information Service
* Vatican Publishing House
* Vatican Radio
* Vatican Radio lawsuit
* Vatican Television Center
* Secretariat of State
* Secretary: Pietro Parolin
* Tribunale
* President: Venerando Marano
* Vatican Apostolic Archive
* Vical General

Papacy

* Pope
* Popemobile
* Catholic Church
* Latin Church
* Holy See
* Diocese of Rome
* Roman Curia
* Conclave (papal elections)
* Universi Dominici gregis
* Recent conclaves
*       * 2005
* 2013
* 2025

* Papal household
* Papal gentleman
* Prefecture of the Papal Household

Foreign relations

* Concordats
* Legal status of the Holy See
* Lateran Treaty
* Multilateral foreign policy
* Section for Relations with States
* Secretary for Relations with States: Paul Gallagher
* Undersecretaries for Relations with States: Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski

* * *

* List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See
* Apostolic nuncios

* * *

* Vatican City and Holy See passports
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* * *

* Holy See and the United Nations
* Holy See–Italy relations
* Holy See–Israel relations
* Holy See–Palestine relations
* Holy See–United States relations

Economy

* Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
* Institute for the Works of Religion
* Properties of the Holy See
* Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
* Secretariat for the Economy
* Supervisory and Financial Information Authority
* Telephone numbers in Vatican City
* Tourism in Vatican City
* Transport in Vatican City
* Vatican City Heliport
* Vatican Railway
* Vatican euro coins
* Vatican lira

Symbols

* 00120 (postal code)
* Coat of arms of Vatican City
* Flag
* List of papal flags
* Papal tiara
* Papal coronation
* "Pontifical Anthem"

Culture

* Languages of Vatican City
* Music of Vatican City
* Sistine Chapel Choir
* Papal Concert to Commemorate the Shoah
* Postage stamps and postal history of Vatican City
* Pontifical Academy of Sciences
* Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
* Public holidays in Vatican City
* Sport in Vatican City
* The Story of the Vatican (1941 documentary)
* Vatican Christmas Tree
* Vatican Library
* Vatican Museums
* Women in Vatican City

Geography and buildings

* Apostolic nunciature
* Apostolic Palace
* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
* Borgia Apartments
* Bramante Staircase
* Cappella Giulia
* Cappella Paolina
* Casina Pio IV
* Circus of Nero
* Cortile del Belvedere
* Domus Sanctae Marthae
* Extant papal tombs
* Fountains of St. Peter's Square
* Gardens of Vatican City
* Gregorian Tower
* Lateran Palace
* Leonine City
* Mater Ecclesiae Monastery
* Monument to the Royal Stuarts
* Niccoline Chapel
* Old St. Peter's Basilica
* Palace of the Holy Office
* Palazzi Pontifici
* Papal apartments
* Passetto di Borgo
* Paul VI Audience Hall
* Porta San Pellegrino
* Redemptoris Mater Chapel
* Saint John's Tower
* St. Peter's Baldachin
* St. Peter's Basilica
* St. Peter's Square
* Saint Peter's tomb
* St Stephen of the Abyssinians
* Sala Regia
* San Pellegrino in Vaticano
* Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici
* Santa Maria Maggiore
* Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri
* Santi Martino e Sebastiano degli Svizzeri
* Santo Stefano degli Ungheresi
* Scala Regia
* Teutonic Cemetery
* Tomb of the Julii
* Vatican Apostolic Archive
* Vatican Grottoes
* Vatican Hill
* Vatican Necropolis
* Vatican obelisk
* Vatican Observatory
* Vatican Pharmacy
* Via della Conciliazione

Vatican Museums

* Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art
* Raphael Rooms
* Redemptoris Mater Chapel
* Restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes
* Sistine Chapel
* Sistine Chapel ceiling
* Gallery of the Sistine Chapel ceiling
* The Last Judgment (Michelangelo)
* Vatican Gallery of Maps
* Vatican Historical Museum

* Index
* Outline
* Vatican City portal
* Catholicism portal

* v
* t
* e

The Holy See participates as an observer to African Union, Arab League, Council of Europe, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Organization of American States, International Organization for Migration and in the United Nations and its agencies FAO, ILO, UNCTAD, UNEP, UNESCO, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, WFP, WHO, WIPO. and as a full member in IAEA, OPCW, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Although the Holy See is closely associated with Vatican City, the independent territory over which the Holy See is sovereign, the two entities are separate and distinct. After the Italian seizure of the Papal States in 1870, the Holy See had no territorial sovereignty. In spite of some uncertainty among jurists as to whether it could continue to act as an independent personality in international matters, the Holy See continued in fact to exercise the right to send and receive diplomatic representatives, maintaining relations with states that included the major powers Russia, Prussia, and Austria-Hungary.[48]

Where, in accordance with the decision of the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Nuncio was a member of the Diplomatic Corps and its dean, this arrangement continued to be accepted by the other ambassadors. In the course of the 59 years during which the Holy See held no territorial sovereignty, the number of states that had diplomatic relations with it, which had been reduced to 16, increased to 29.[48]

The State of the Vatican City was created by the Lateran Treaty in 1929 to "ensure the absolute and visible independence of the Holy See" and "to guarantee to it indisputable sovereignty in international affairs." Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Holy See's former Secretary for Relations with States, said that Vatican City is a "minuscule support-state that guarantees the spiritual freedom of the Pope with the minimum territory".[49]

The Holy See, not Vatican City, maintains diplomatic relations with states.[50] Foreign embassies are accredited to the Holy See, not to Vatican City, and it is the Holy See that establishes treaties and concordats with other sovereign entities. When necessary, the Holy See will enter a treaty on behalf of Vatican City.

Under the terms of the Lateran Treaty, the Holy See has extraterritorial authority over various sites in Rome and two Italian sites outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo. The same authority is extended under international law over the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in a foreign country.

## Military

[edit]

See also: Military in Vatican City

The Swiss Guard on patrol

Like various European powers, earlier popes recruited Swiss mercenaries as part of an army. The Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II in January 1506 as the personal bodyguards of the Pope and continues to fulfill that function.[51] It is listed in the Annuario Pontificio under "Holy See", not under "State of Vatican City".[52]

In 2005, the Guard had 134 members. Recruitment is arranged by a special agreement between the Holy See and Switzerland. All recruits must be Catholic, unmarried males with Swiss citizenship who have completed basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces with certificates of good conduct, be between the ages of 19 and 30,[53] and be at least 175 centimetres (5 feet 9 inches) in height.

Members are armed with small arms and the traditional halberd, also called the Swiss voulge,[54] and trained in bodyguarding tactics.[55]

The police force in Vatican City, known as the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, belongs to the city state, not to the Holy See.

The Holy See signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a binding agreement for negotiations for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.[56][57]

## Coat of arms

[edit]

Main articles: Coat of arms of the Holy See and Coat of arms of Vatican City

(A variant of the) Arms of the Holy See

Arms of Vatican City State

The arms of the Holy See have the gold key in bend and the silver key in bend sinister,[58][59] as in the sede vacante coat of arms and in the external ornaments of the papal coats of arms of individual popes. The reversed arrangement of the keys was chosen for the arms of the newly founded Vatican City State in 1929.[60]

The coat of arms of the Holy See has no background shield, as can be seen on its official website and on the Holy See passports.[61]

## See also

[edit]

* Global organisation of the Catholic Church
* Index of Vatican City-related articles
* Patriarchate
* Petitions to the Holy See
* Pontifical academy
* See of Constantinople
* Sovereign Military Order of Malta

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Universal full communion, Latin Church, Catholic Church.

1. ^ Episcopal see of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, head of the worldwide Catholic Church.
2. ^ The Pope as head of state or sovereign of the Vatican City State.
3. ^ Although Saint John Lateran is legally within Rome, it is one of the properties of the Holy See granted extraterritorial privileges.
4. ^ The Holy See is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and a sovereign entity recognized by international law, consisting of the Pope and the Roman Curia. It is also commonly referred to as "the Vatican", especially when used as a metonym for the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
5. ^ Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei, Comoros, Laos, the Maldives, North Korea, the People's Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tuvalu and Vietnam.[43]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "About the Holy See". 20 July 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
2. ^ "Background Notes, the Holy See". 1995. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
3. ^ "Internet portal of Vatican City State". Vatican City State. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
4. ^ a b "CIA's factbook Vatican State". 16 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
5. ^ Robbers, Gerhard (2006) Encyclopedia of World Constitutions Archived 4 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-81606078-8. p. 1009.
6. ^ Nick Megoran (2009) "Theocracy" Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, p. 226 in International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, vol. 11, Elsevier ISBN 978-0-08-044911-1
7. ^ "the Holy See". Cambridge Dictionary. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.
8. ^ "the Holy See". Oxford Learners Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.
9. ^ "the Holy See (Catholic Encyclopedia)". 28 January 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
10. ^ Livingstone, Elizabeth A. (2006). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 33\. ISBN 978-0-19-861442-5. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
11. ^ "Holy See | Definition, Roman Catholicism, History, Governance, Vatican, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
12. ^ "Holy See (10/05)". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
13. ^ "Holy See". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
14. ^ Holmes, J. Derek (1978). The Triumph of the Holy See: A Short History of the Papacy in the Nineteenth Century. Burns & Oates. p. 142\. ISBN 978-7-80186-160-3. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
15. ^ "Holy See, The country brief". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Government of Australia). Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
16. ^ "Code of Canon Law: text – IntraText CT". www.intratext.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
17. ^ a b United States. Department of State. Bureau of Public Affairs (1989). "The Holy See". Backgr Notes Ser: 1–4\. PMID 12178005.
18. ^ "Lateran Treaty | Italy [1929]". Britannica. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
19. ^ Agnew, John (12 February 2010). "Deus Vult: The Geopolitics of Catholic Church". Geopolitics. 15 (1): 39–61\. doi:10.1080/14650040903420388. S2CID 144793259.
20. ^ "Holy See's Presence in the International Organizations". The Holy See. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
21. ^ a b "Holy See". Travel & living abroad. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
22. ^ "Holy See – Observer". Council of Europe. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
23. ^ "St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles". Catholic Encyclopedia. newadvent.org. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
24. ^ Direzione dell'Annuario Pontificio presso la Segreteria di Stato (2012). Annuario Pontificio (in Italian). Stato Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vatican. pp. 11–1019 (cf. full list of the Catholic sees). ISBN 978-88-209-8522-6.
25. ^ Kersting, Hans (2003). Mainz – tours on foot. Vol. 4\. Bayerische Verlagsanstalt. ISBN 978-3-89889-078-6.
26. ^ "'Moral Diplomacy' of the Holy See: Multi-Level Diplomacy of a Transnational Actor". Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
27. ^ "Treaty Between the Holy See and Italy" (PDF). rightofassembly.info. 13 January 2024. Article 03. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2024.
28. ^ "State and Government". www.vaticanstate.va. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
29. ^ "These 7 nations are ruled by an absolute monarchy!". Stories of World. 22 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
30. ^ "Dichiarazione Di S.E. Mons. Pietro Parolin in Occasione della sua Nomina a Segretario di Stato". Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
31. ^ Code of Canon Law, canons 1443–1444 Archived 8 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Holy See. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
32. ^ Code of Canon Law, canon 1445 Archived 8 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Holy See. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
33. ^ Pastor bonus, articles 117–120 Archived 23 February 2001 at the Wayback Machine. The Vatican. (28 June 1988). Retrieved 11 September 2011.
34. ^ Pogorelc, Anthony (2020). Vatican. Print: SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion.
35. ^ "Economic Report of the Holy See for 2000" Zenit 6 July 2001
36. ^ David Leigh (21 January 2013). "How the Vatican built a secret property empire using Mussolini's millions". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
37. ^ These criteria for statehood were first authoritatively enunciated at the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States, signed by American states on 26 December 1933.
38. ^ a b "Bilateral and Multilateral Relations of the Holy See, update on October 22, 2009". Archived from the original on 9 July 2014.
39. ^ e.g. IAEA Archived 12 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, OSCE Archived 8 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine, IOM
40. ^ Robert Araujo and John Lucal, Papal Diplomacy and the Quest for Peace, the Vatican and International Organizations from the early years to the League of Nations, Sapienza Press (2004), ISBN 1-932589-01-5, p. 16. See also James Crawford, The Creation of States in International Law, (1979) p. 154.
41. ^ Bilateral and Multilateral Relations of the Holy See Archived 12 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Vatican. (31 May 2007). Retrieved 11 September 2011.
42. ^ "179 states have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See". Zenit News Agency. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
43. ^ "Mission Impossible: Eject the Holy See from the United Nations". chiesa: News, analysis, and documents on the Catholic Church, by Sandro Magister. 21 August 2007. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2007.
44. ^ Holy See Press Office: "Bilateral and Multilateral Relations of the Holy See" Archived 6 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine
45. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), pp. 1307 (Rappresentanze Pontificie) and 1338 (Corpo Diplomatico presso la Santa Sede)
46. ^ Ambassador's Address on UK-Holy See Relations Archived 13 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine (emphasis added)
47. ^ "Holy See". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
48. ^ a b Lecture by Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, 16 February 2006 Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. 30giorni.it. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
49. ^ Lecture by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, 22 April 2002 Archived 15 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. The Holy See. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
50. ^ Bilateral and Multilateral Relations of the Holy See Archived 9 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine. The Holy See. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
51. ^ "Päpstliche Schweizergarde: 1506 Foundation". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
52. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013), p. 1269
53. ^ "Päpstliche Schweizergarde: Conditions". 21 April 2013. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013.
54. ^ "Swiss Voulge – Also Called Halberd or Halbert". www.knightsedge.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
55. ^ See videos at Pontifical Swiss Guards, Gallery
56. ^ "Chapter XXVI: Disarmament – No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons". United Nations Treaty Collection. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
57. ^ Gomes, Robin (23 October 2018). "Holy See urges ratification of Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty". Vatican News. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
58. ^ Galbreath, Donald Lindsay (13 September 1930). "A Treatise on Ecclesiastical Heraldry". W. Heffer and sons, Limited. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2020 – via Google Books.
59. ^ "The golden key, which points upwards on the dexter side, signifies the power that extends even to Heaven. The silver key, which must point up to the sinister side, symbolizes the power over all the faithful on earth." Bruno Bernhard Heim, Heraldry in the Catholic Church: Its Origin, Customs and Laws (Van Duren 1978 ISBN 9780391008731), p. 54.
60. ^ "Appendix B ("All. B. Stemma Ufficiale dello Stato della Città del Vaticano") of the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, 7 June 1929" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
61. ^ "Holy See Passport" (PDF). The Holy See and Vatican City State. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Köck, Heribert F. (1975). Die Völkerrechtliche Stellung Des Heiligen Stuhls: Dargestellt an Seiner Beziehungen Zu Staaten Und Internationalen Organisationen. Berlin: Duncker und Humblot. ISBN 978-3-428-03355-3.
* Köck, Heribert F. (1995). "Holy See". In Bernhardt, Rudolf; Macalister-Smith, Peter (eds.). Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law. Vol. 2\. Amsterdam: North-Holland. ISBN 978-0-444-86245-7.
* Brusher, Joseph S. (1959). Popes Through the Ages. Princeton, N.J.: Van Nostrand. OCLC 742355324.
* Chamberlin, E. R. (1969). The Bad Popes. New York: Dial Press. OCLC 647415773.
* Dollison, John (1994). Pope-pourri. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-88615-8.
* Maxwell-Stuart, P. G. (1997). Chronicle of the Popes: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Papacy from St. Peter to the Present. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-01798-2.
* Norwich, John Julius (2011). The Popes: A History. London: Chatto & Windus. ISBN 978-0-7011-8290-8.
* Duffy, Eamon (1997). Saints and Sinners, a History of the Popes. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-07332-4.
* Durant, William James (1950). The Story of Civilization. Vol. IV. The Age of Faith: A History of Medieval Civilization – Christian, Islamic, and Judaic – from Constantine to Dante, A.D. 325–1300. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-01200-7. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* Durant, William James (1957). The Story of Civilization. Vol. VI. The Reformation. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-61050-0. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* Franzen, August; Dolan, John (1969). A History of the Church. Herder and Herder.
* Granfield, Patrick (1987). The Limits of the Papacy: Authority and Autonomy in the Church. New York: Crossroad. ISBN 978-0-8245-0839-5.
* Grisar, Hartmann (1912). History of Rome and the Popes in the Middle Ages. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner. OCLC 11025456.
* John Paul II, Pope (22 February 1996). "Universi Dominici Gregis". Vatican Publishing House.
* Kelly, J. N. (1986). Oxford Dictionary of the Popes. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-19-190935-1.
* Kerr, William Shaw (1950). A Handbook on the Papacy. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott. OCLC 51018118.
* Küng, Hans (2003). The Catholic Church: A Short History. Random House. ISBN 978-0-8129-6762-3.
* Loomis, Louise Ropes (2006) [1916]. The Book of the Popes (Liber Pontificalis): To the Pontificate of Gregory I. Merchantville, New Jersey: Evolution Publishing. ISBN 978-1-889758-86-2.
* Noble, Thomas; Strauss, Barry (2005). Western Civilization. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-618-43277-6.
* Orlandis, José (1993). A Short History of the Catholic Church. Scepter. ISBN 978-1-85182-125-9.
* La Due, William J. (1999). The Chair of Saint Peter: A History of the Papacy. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. ISBN 978-1-57075-249-0.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holy See.

Look up holy see in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

* Official website
* The Holy See news portal (Vatican News)
* Vatican News on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Holy See

* Apostolic see of Pope Leo XIV as bishop of the Diocese of Rome
* Sovereignty of Vatican City
* Legal status of the Holy See

History|

* Apostolic see
* Primacy of Peter
* History of papal primacy
* Patrimony of Saint Peter
* Old St. Peter's Basilica
* Lateran Palace
* Museum
* Duchy of Rome
* Donation of Sutri
* Donation of Pepin
* Avignon Papacy
* Papal States
* Temporal power
* Investiture Controversy
* Age of Revolution
* "Prisoner in the Vatican"
* Savoyard era
* Vatican City
* Lateran Treaty
* World War II
* Warsaw Pact

Sovereign
judicial entity
under
international law
(Legal status)|

| Officials|

* Pope Leo XIV
* Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin
* Cardinals
* List
* Advisers

|

Governance|

* Secretariat of State
* College of Cardinals
* Conclave

Government|

* Roman Curia
* Apostolic Camera
* Commissions
* For Vatican City State
* Councils
* Congregations
* Dicasteries

Foreign affairs
(Multilateral policy)|

* Section for Relations with States
* To the Holy See
* Of the Holy See
* Heads
* Italy
* United Nations
* Permanent Observer
* in Geneva
* European Union
* Permanent Observer to the Council of Europe
* Apostolic nunciature
* Nuncio
* Treaties
* Concordats

Diocese
of Rome
with universal
full communion
(Papal primacy)|

| Synods|

* Ordinary general assemblies
* Extraordinary general assemblies
* Special assemblies

|

Ecclesiastical
province of Rome
(Vicariate: Rome,
Vatican City)|

| Suburbicarian sees|

* Ostia
* Velletri–Segni
* Porto–Santa Rufina
* Frascati
* Palestrina
* Albano
* Sabina–Poggio Mirteto

|

Territorial abbeys|

* Monte Cassino
* Subiaco

Suffragan dioceses|

* Gaeta
* Anagni-Alatri
* Civita Castellana
* Civitavecchia-Tarquinia
* Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino
* Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno
* Rieti
* Sora-Cassino-Aquino-Pontecorvo
* Tivoli
* Viterbo

Properties
including
extra-
territoriality|

| Inside
Rome|

Major basilicas|

* St. Peter's Basilica
* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
* Santa Maria Maggiore
* Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

|

* Lateran Palace
* Lateran University
* Scala Sancta
* Sancta Sanctorum
* Adjoining buildings
* Palace of Saint Callixtus
* Gianicolo Hill area
* Pontifical Urban University
* Pontifical North American College
* Bambino Gesù Hospital
* Palazzo della Cancelleria
* Palace of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
* Palace of the Holy Office
* Palace of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
* Palazzo Pio
* Palazzo Maffei Marescotti (Palace of the Vicariate}
* Pontifical Roman Minor Seminary
* Collegio Teutonico
* Teutonic Cemetery
* Benedictine monastery
* Pontifical Oratory of San Paolo
* Beda College
* Paul VI Audience Hall
* St. Peter's Square

Non-
extraterritorial|

* Palace of the Holy Apostles
* Palace of San Carlo ai Catinari
* Collegio Bellarmino
* Archaeological Institute
* Pontifical Oriental Institute
* Pontifical Lombard Seminary
* Russian College
* Two Palaces of Sant'Apollinare
* House of Retreat for the Clergy of Saints John and Paul
* Nympheum of Nero

|

Outside
Rome|

* Palace of Castel Gandolfo
* Papal farm
* Gardens of the Villa Cybo
* Villa Barberini
* Adjacent gardens
* Pontifical College Josephinum
* Summer estate of Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide
* Vatican Radio antennae area of Santa Maria di Galeria

| Non-
extraterritorial|

* Basilica della Santa Casa
* Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
* Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua

|

See also|

* Acta Apostolicae Sedis
* Awards
* Papal household
* Peter's Pence
* Roman Rota
* Apostolic Penitentiary
* Apostolic Signatura
* Swiss Guard
* Vatican.va

* Vatican City portal
* Catholic Church portal

* v
* t
* e

Foreign relations of the Holy See

Africa|

* Algeria
* Central African Republic
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Ivory Coast
* Mauritius

Americas|

* Argentina
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Cuba
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Peru
* United States
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Asia|

* Bangladesh
* China
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kurdistan Region
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Philippines
* Saudi Arabia
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Taiwan
* Turkey
* United Arab Emirates
* Vietnam

Europe|

* Albania
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Monaco
* North Macedonia
* Poland
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia
* Spain
* Switzerland
* United Kingdom

Oceania|

* Papua New Guinea

Former|

* Soviet Union
* Yugoslavia

Multilateral relations|

* African Union
* ASEAN
* Arab League
* Council of Europe
* European Union
* Organization of American States
* United Nations
* Observer to the UN
* Observer to the UN in Geneva

Related topics|

* Apostolic nunciature
* Cardinal Secretary of State
* Concordats
* Diplomatic missions: of the Holy See/to the Holy See
* Heads of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See
* Legal status of the Holy See
* Multilateral foreign policy of the Holy See
* Secretariat of State
* Section for Relations with States (Roman Curia)

* v
* t
* e

Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See

Orders
of the Holy See|

* Supreme Order of Christ
* Order of the Golden Spur
* Order of Pope Pius IX
* Order of St. Gregory the Great
* Order of St. Sylvester

Orders
under protection
of the Holy See
(with distinctions)|

* Order of the Holy Sepulchre
* Palm of Jerusalem
* Pilgrim Shell
* Cross of Merit
* Sovereign Military Order of Malta
* Order pro Merito Melitensi
* Medal of the Order pro Merito Melitensi

Other distinctions|

* Golden Rose
* Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
* Benemerenti medal
* Jerusalem Pilgrim's Cross

Defunct/dormant
distinctions
(selection)|

* Order of Saint John of the Lateran
* Order of Saint Cecilia (1870)
* Order of the Moor (1870)
* Order of Saint Sylvester and the Militia Aurata (1905)
* Advocates of Saint Peter (1909)
* Blessed sword and hat (1823)
* Pro Petri Sede (1860)
* Fidei et Virtuti (1867)
* Lauretan Cross (c. 1980s)
* Papal Lateran Cross (1977)

See also|

* Papal household
* Papal nobility
* Black nobility
* Pontifical academies
* Swiss Guard
* Other Catholic orders of chivaly

* Vatican City portal
* Catholicism portal

* v
* t
* e

Papacy

Episcopate of the bishop of Rome

Jurisdiction|

| Holy See
(full communion)|

* Pope Leo XIV as bishop of the Diocese of Rome
* primacy
* history

| Vatican City
(index, outline)|

* Enclaved in Rome, Italy
* Lateran Treaty, 1929
* along with extraterritorial properties of the Holy See

|

Headquarters|

* Vatican City:
* Apostolic Palace
* papal apartments
* Sistine Chapel
* Italy:
* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (cathedra)

Major basilicas|

* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
* St. Peter's Basilica
* Basilica of Saint Mary Major
* Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Titles
(Papal names)|

* His Holiness
* Bishop of Rome
* Vicar of Jesus Christ
* Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
* Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church
* Patriarch of the West
* Primate of Italy
* Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province
* Sovereign of the Vatican City State
* Servant of the servants of God

Symbols|

* Coats of arms
* Coat of arms of the Holy See
* Cross
* Keys of Heaven
* Regalia and insignia
* Rota
* Umbraculum

Proclamations|

* Infallibility
* Apostolic constitution
* Bull
* list
* Encyclical
* Apostolic exhortation
* Ecclesiastical letter
* Interdict

Activities|

* Arbitration
* deposition
* Blessing
* "pontifical"
* Urbi et Orbi
* Conclave
* list
* Coronation
* Consistory
* Diplomacy
* Inauguration
* Mass
* High Mass
* Travel

Vestments|

* Camauro
* Falda
* Fanon
* Ferula
* Flabellum
* Mantle
* Mitre
* Mozzetta
* Pallium
* Ring of the Fisherman
* Shoes
* slippers
* Subcinctorium
* Tiara
* list
* Zucchetto

Transportation|

* Popemobile
* Sedia gestatoria
* Shepherd One

Household|

* Camerlengo
* Commander of the Swiss Guard
* Chaplain
* Palatinus
* papal majordomo
* Gentlemen
* Preacher
* Prefect
* Prelate of Honour
* Prince assistant
* Theologian

Staff|

* College of Cardinals
* cardinals
* list
* Roman Curia
* Apostolic Camera
* commissions
* for Vatican City State
* councils
* congregations
* dicasteries
* Synods
* Cappella Giulia
* Sistine Chapel Choir

Related|

* Antipope
* Western Schism
* Canonised popes
* Fat pope, thin pope
* Gammarelli
* Legends
* Orders, decorations, and medals
* Papabile
* Papal nobility
* "Black"
* Pontifical academy
* Pontifical colleges in Rome
* Major Seminary
* Pontifical university
* in Rome
* Popes by country
* Sexually active popes
* St. Peter's Square
* Swiss Guard

* Vatican City portal
* Catholic Church portal

* v
* t
* e

Roman Curia of the Holy See

Secretariat|

| Secretariat of State|

* Section for General Affairs
* Section for Relations with States
* Secretary for Pontifical Representations

Dicasteries|

* Evangelization
* Doctrine of the Faith
* Service of Charity
* Eastern Churches
* Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
* Causes of Saints
* Bishops
* Clergy
* Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
* Laity, Family and Life
* Christian Unity
* Interreligious Dialogue
* Culture and Education
* Integral Human Development
* Legislative Texts
* Communication

Tribunals|

* Apostolic Penitentiary
* Apostolic Signatura
* Roman Rota

Economics|

* Council for the Economy
* Secretariat for the Economy
* Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
* Office of the Auditor General
* Commission for Confidential Matters
* Committee for Investments

Offices|

* Prefecture of the Papal Household
* Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff
* Apostolic Camera
* Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church

Institutes|

* Labour Office of the Apostolic See
* Vatican Apostolic Archive
* Vatican Apostolic Library
* Fabric of Saint Peter
* Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology
* AVEPRO
* Supervisory and Financial Information Authority
* Domus Vaticanae

Interdicasterial commissions|

* Particular Churches
* Church in Eastern Europe
* Consecrated Religious
* Candidates to Sacred Order
* Revision of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia

Commissions and committees|

* International Eucharistic Congresses
* Historical Sciences
* Advocates
* Swiss Guard
* Disciplinary
* Financial Security
* Commission of Cardinals overseeing the Institute for Works of Religion
* Activities of Public Juridical Persons of the Church in the Healthcare Sector
* Verification and Application of Mitis Iudex in the Churches of Italy

Other organizations|

| Councils, commissions, and offices|

* Evangelization
* International Council for Catechesis
* Doctrine of the Faith
* Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
* International Theological Commission
* Pontifical Biblical Commission
* College for the review of appeals by clergy accused of delicta reservata
* Bishops
* Pontifical Commission for Latin America
* Clergy
* Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations
* Christian Unity
* Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews
* Interreligious Dialogue
* Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims
* Culture and Education
* Pontifical Work for Ecclesiastical Vocations
* Communication
* Vatican Publishing House
* Vatican Media
* Vatican Radio
* L'Osservatore Romano
* Holy See Press Office

|

Pontifical academies|

* Arcadia
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* Sciences
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* Archaeology
* Martyrs
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* Immaculate Conception
* Mary
* Life
* Social Sciences
* Latin

Papal See of Rome|

* Vicar General for the Vatican City State
* Vicar General for the Vicariate of Rome
* Auxiliary Bishops of the Vicariate of Rome
* Prelate Secretary of the Vicariate of Rome

History|

* Roman Inquisition (1542)
* Reform by Sixtus V (1588)
* Reform by Paul VI (1967)
* Reform by John Paul II (1988)
* Reform by Francis (2022)

| Former
dicasteries|

* Congregation for Borders
* Congregation for Catholic Education
* Congregation of Ceremonies
* Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
* Sacred Congregation of the Index
* Congregation of the Vatican Press
* Sacred Congregation of the Consulta
* Congregation for Indulgences and Sacred Relics
* Congregation of Rites
* Apostolic Chancery
* Apostolic Dataria
* Office of Papal Charities
* Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters
* Special Administration of the Holy See
* Pontifical Council for Culture
* Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church
* Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
* Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization
* Pontifical Council for Social Communications
* Pontifical Council for the Family
* Pontifical Council for the Laity
* Pontifical Council Cor Unum
* Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
* Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
* Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers

|

* Vatican City portal
* Catholicism portal

* v
* t
* e

Vatican City articles

* Index
* Outline
* Holy See
* Properties
* Pope: Leo XIV
* List of sovereigns
* Vicar General for Vatican City

History|

* History of the papacy
* "Prisoner in the Vatican"
* Circus of Nero
* Old St. Peter's Basilica
* Papal tombs
* Navicella
* Leonine City
* Cortile del Belvedere
* Santo Stefano degli Ungheresi
* Lateran Treaty
* Borgo Nuovo
* Borgo Vecchio
* Piazza Scossacavalli

Geography|

| Major basilica|

| St. Peter's Basilica|

* Chair of Saint Peter
* Door of the Dead
* Monument to the Royal Stuarts
* St. Peter's Baldachin
* Saint Longinus
* Pietà
* Vatican Necropolis
* Saint Peter's tomb
* Papal tombs
* Tomb of the Julii
* Vatican Grottoes

|

Apostolic Palace|

* Redemptoris Mater Chapel
* Borgia Apartments
* Clementine Hall
* Loggias
* Papal apartments
* Stufetta del cardinal Bibbiena
* Cappella Paolina
* Raphael Rooms
* Niccoline Chapel
* Sala Ducale
* Sala Regia
* Scala Regia
* The Vision of Constantine
* Sistine Chapel
* altarpiece
* ceiling
* Room of Tears

Vatican Museums|

* Historical
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* Pio-Clementino
* Chiaramonti
* Gregoriano Etrusco
* Gregoriano Egiziano
* Pio Cristiano
* Ethnographic
* Bramante Staircase
* Maps

* Gregorian Tower
* Casina Pio IV
* Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri
* Domus Sanctae Marthae
* Holy Spirit Chapel
* Gardens
* Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici
* Collegio Teutonico
* Teutonic Cemetery
* Mater Ecclesiae Monastery
* Sant'Egidio in Borgo
* Santi Martino e Sebastiano degli Svizzeri
* Paul VI Audience Hall
* The Resurrection
* Passetto di Borgo
* San Pellegrino in Vaticano
* St. Peter's Square
* Via della Conciliazione
* Fountains
* Porta San Pellegrino
* Ricciolo d'Italia
* Saint John's Tower
* Santo Stefano degli Abissini
* Vatican Pharmacy
* Vatican Hill

Politics|

* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Vicar General
* Law

* Crime
* Fundamental Law

Governance|

* Pope Leo XIV
* Cardinal Secretary of State Vacant

Government|

* Roman Curia
* Apostolic Camera
* Commissions
* For Vatican City State
* Councils
* Congregations
* Dicasteries

Military|

* Corps of Gendarmerie
* Swiss Guard
* See also: Corps of Firefighters

Economy|

* Banking
* Vatican euro coins
* Communications
* .va [Internet domain]
* Poste Vaticane
* Postage stamps and postal history
* Homelessness
* Secretariat for the Economy
* Tourism

Infrastructure|

* Transport
* Heliport
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Culture|

* Academy of Sciences
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* Architecture
* Archives
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* Climate Forest
* Demographics
* Languages
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* film
* Music
* Sistine Chapel Choir
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* Public holidays

| Media|

* Holy See Press Office
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* Vatican Media
* Vatican News
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* Vatican News App
* Vatican Publishing House
* Acta Apostolicae Sedis
* Annuario Pontificio
* L'Osservatore Romano
* Pope2you

|

Religion|

* Catholic Church

Symbols|

* Anthem
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* Flag

Sports|

* Amateur Sports Association
* Cricket team
* National football team (Men)
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* Vatican Athletics

* Vatican City portal
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Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

Catholic Church

* Index
* Outline
* Glossary
* Lists of Catholics

History
Timeline
Ecclesiastical
Legal|

| Early Church|

* Jesus Christ
* Ministry
* Crucifixion
* Resurrection
* Great Commission
* Apostles
* Succession
* Petrine primacy
* Church Fathers
* Apostolic Fathers
* History of the papacy
* Primacy

|

Great Church|

* Ante-Nicene period
* Constantine
* First seven ecumenical councils
* Nicaea I
* Chalcedon
* Late antiquity
* Biblical canon
* Monasticism

Middle Ages|

* Islamic conquests
* Pope Gregory I
* Papal States
* Schism (1054)
* Investiture Controversy
* Crusades
* Schism (1378)
* Inquisition
* Universities
* Scholasticism
* Age of Discovery

Modern era|

* Protestantism
* Protestant Reformation
* Catholic Reformation
* Trent
* Thirty Years' War
* Enlightenment
* French Revolution
* Nazism
* Vatican II
* Communism
* Sexual abuse scandal
* Islam
* COVID-19 pandemic

Theology
Bible
Tradition
Catechism|

| General|

* God
* Trinity
* Kingdom
* Body
* Divine grace
* Dogma
* Nicene Creed
* Original sin
* Saints
* Salvation
* Sermon on the Mount
* Ten Commandments
* Vulgate
* Official Bible
* Sixtine Vulgate
* Sixto-Clementine Vulgate
* Nova Vulgata
* Worship

|

Ecclesiology|

* Communitas perfecta
* Councils
* Ecumenism
* Four marks
* One true church
* Catholic
* Infallibility
* Mystici Corporis Christi
* People of God
* Three states
* Subsistit in
* In canon law

Sacraments|

* Baptism
* Confirmation
* Eucharist
* Penance
* Anointing of the Sick
* Last rites
* Holy orders
* Matrimony

Mariology|

* Assumption
* History
* Immaculate Conception
* Mariology of the popes
* Mariology of the saints
* Mother of God
* Perpetual virginity
* Veneration
* See also:
* Josephology

Philosophy|

* Natural law
* Moral theology
* Personalism
* Social teaching
* Philosophers
* Philosophy of canon law
* See also:
* Science
* Evolution
* Separation of church and state
* Relations
* Politics

Saints|

* Holy Family
* Mary
* Joseph
* Patriarchs
* Prophets
* Archangels
* Martyrs
* Doctors of the Church
* Evangelists
* Confessors
* Disciples
* Virgins

Organisation
Hierarchy
Canon law
Laity
Precedence
By country|

| Holy See
(List of popes)|

* Pope Leo XIV
* Ecumenical councils
* College of Cardinals
* List
* Advisers
* Roman Curia
* Dicasteries
* Synod of Bishops
* Properties

|

Vatican City|

* Index
* Outline
* Apostolic Palace
* Lateran Treaty
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* St. Peter's Basilica
* Swiss Guard
* Vatican Museums

Polity (Holy orders)|

* Diocese
* Episcopal conference
* Eparchy
* Bishop
* Patriarch
* Major
* Primate
* Metropolitan
* Archbishop
* Diocesan
* Coadjutor
* Auxiliary
* Titular
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* Parish
* Priest
* Deacon

Consecrated life|

* Religious:
* Superior
* Abbot, Abbess
* General
* Provincial
* Prior, Prioress
* Grand master
* Brother
* Friar
* Monk
* Sister
* Nun
* Hermit
* Novice
* Master
* Oblate
* Postulant

Particular churches
sui iuris|

* Latin Church
* Eastern Catholic Churches
* Albanian
* Armenian
* Belarusian
* Bulgarian
* Chaldean
* Coptic
* Croatian and Serbian
* Eritrean
* Ethiopian
* Georgian
* Greek
* Hungarian
* Italo-Albanian
* Macedonian
* Maronite
* Melkite
* Romanian
* Russian
* Ruthenian
* Slovak
* Syriac
* Syro-Malabar
* Syro-Malankara
* Ukrainian

Catholic liturgy|

* Eastern Catholic liturgy
* Alexandrian
* Antiochian
* Armenian
* Byzantine
* East Syriac
* West Syriac
* Malankara
* Latin
* Ambrosian
* Braga
* Mozarabic
* Roman
* Paul VI
* Tridentine
* Anglican
* Zaire

Culture|

* Art
* Marian
* Artists
* Writers
* Church buildings
* Altarpieces
* Folk
* Library
* Museums
* Music
* Distinctions
* Role in civilisation
* See also:
* Criticism of the Catholic Church
* Anti-Catholicism

Media|

* Holy See Press Office
* Vatican Media
* Vatican News
* Vatican Television Center
* Vatican Radio
* Vatican Press [it]
* L'Osservatore Romano
* Acta Apostolicae Sedis
* Annuario Pontificio

Religious orders,
institutes, societies|

* Assumptionists
* Annonciades
* Augustinians
* Basilians
* Benedictines
* Bethlehemites
* Blue nuns
* Camaldoleses
* Camillians
* Carmelites
* Carthusians
* Cistercians
* Clarisses
* Conceptionists
* Crosiers
* Dominicans
* Franciscans
* Good Shepherd Sisters
* Hieronymites
* Jesuits
* Legionaries
* Mercedarians
* Minims
* Olivetans
* Oratorians
* Piarists
* Premonstratensians
* Redemptoristines
* Servites
* Theatines
* Trappists
* Trinitarians
* Visitandines

Associations
of the faithful|

* Confraternities
* Lay
* Marian
* Youth
* Workers
* Third orders
* Saint Dominic
* Lay Carmelites
* Discalced
* Saint Francis
* Secular
* Military orders
* Fimcap
* Catholic Action
* Charismatic Renewal
* Communion and Liberation
* Sant'Egidio
* Focolare
* International Alliance of Catholic Knights
* Scouting
* Legion of Mary
* Neocatechumenal Way
* Opus Dei
* Schoenstatt

Charities|

* Aid to the Church in Need
* Caritas
* Catholic Charities USA
* Home Missions
* Relief Services
* CIDSE
* Pax Christi
* Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

* See also:
* Health care
* Schools
* Universities

* Catholic Church portal
* Category

* v
* t
* e

Latin Church

Patriarchates
(by order of precedence)|

| Current|

* Rome ('Patriarch of the West'): Pope Leo XIV (with cathedra in Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran)

* Jerusalem: Pierbattista Pizzaballa
* East Indies: Filipe Neri Ferrão
* Lisbon: Rui Valério
* Venice: Francesco Moraglia

|

Defunct|

* Carthage (?−1964)
* Alexandria (1276–1964)
* Antioch (1098–1964)
* Constantinople (1204–1964)
* West Indies (1524–1963)
* Aquileia (560–1751)
* Ethiopia (1555–1663)
* Grado (560–1451)

History|

* Apostolic succession
* History of the papacy
* Papal primacy
* Historical development
* First Martyrs
* Great Church
* Early African church
* Vulgate
* East–West Schism
* Scholasticism
* Crusades
* Western Schism
* Age of Discovery
* Humanism
* Protestant Reformation
* Council of Trent
* Counter-Reformation
* Vatican I
* Vatican II
* 1983 Code of Canon Law

| Apostolic sees|

* Rome
* Peter
* Paul
* Syracuse
* Peter
* Malta
* Paul
* Milan
* Barnabas
* Santiago de Compostela
* James

|

Church Fathers|

* Tertullian
* Cyprian
* Hilary of Poitiers*
* Ambrose*
* Pope Damasus I
* Jerome*
* Augustine of Hippo*
* Pope Gregory I*
* Isidore of Seville*

Language|

* Ecclesiastical Latin
* Liturgical use of Latin

Liturgical rites
Liturgical days|

| Current|

* Ambrosian Rite
* Rite of Braga
* Mozarabic Rite
* Rite of Lyon
* Roman Rite
* Mass of Paul VI (Ordinary form)
* Tridentine Mass
* Extraordinary form
* Anglican Use
* Zaire Use

| Orders|

* Benedictine Rite
* Carmelite Rite
* Carthusian Rite
* Cistercian Rite
* Dominican Rite
* Norbertine Rite

|

Defunct|

* African Rite
* Aquileian Rite
* British
* Celtic Rite
* Durham Rite
* Hereford Use
* Sarum Use
* York Use
* Gallican Rite
* Missa Nautica
* Missa sicca
* Missa Venatoria
* Pre-Tridentine Mass

See also|

* Latin cross
* Latin Church in the Middle East
* Latins
* Turkey
* Titular sees
* Eastern Catholic Churches
* Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions
* Western Rite Orthodoxy

* * also Doctors of the Church
* Category

* v
* t
* e

Basilicas in the Diocese of Rome

* Roman Catholic ecclesiastical province of Rome
* Holy See

Major|

* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
* Basilica of Saint Peter Vatican
* Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
* Basilica of Saint Mary Major

Minor|

* S. Lorenzo fuori le mura
* S. Agnese fuori le mura
* S. Agostino
* S. Anastasia al Palatino
* S. Andrea delle Fratte
* S. Andrea della Valle
* S. Antonio da Padova in Via Merulana
* S. Apollinare alle Terme
* Ss. Apostoli
* S. Balbina
* S. Bartolomeo all'Isola
* Ss. Bonifacio ed Alessio
* S. Camillo de Lellis
* S. Carlo al Corso
* S. Cecilia in Trastevere
* Ss. Celso e Giuliano
* S. Clemente
* Ss. Cosma e Damiano
* S. Crisogono
* S. Croce in Via Flaminia
* S. Croce in Gerusalemme
* S. Eugenio
* S. Eustachio
* S. Francesca Romana
* S. Giovanni a Porta Latina
* S. Giovanni Bosco in Via Tuscolana
* S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini
* Ss. Giovanni e Paolo
* S. Giuseppe al Trionfale
* S. Lorenzo in Damaso
* S. Lorenzo in Lucina
* S. Maria Ausiliatrice
* S. Marco
* S. Maria degli Angeli
* S. Maria in Cosmedin
* S. Maria in Domnica
* S. Maria in Aracoeli
* S. Maria del Popolo
* S. Maria sopra Minerva
* S. Maria in Trastevere
* S. Maria in Via
* S. Maria in Via Lata
* S. Maria della Vittoria
* S. Martino ai Monti
* Ss. Nereo e Achilleo
* S. Nicola in Carcere
* S. Pancrazio
* Pantheon
* S. Pietro in Vincoli
* S. Prassede
* S. Pudenziana
* Ss. Quattro Coronati
* S. Saba
* S. Sabina
* Sacro Cuore di Maria
* Sacro Cuore di Cristo Re
* Sacro Cuore di Gesù a Castro Pretorio
* S. Sebastiano fuori le mura
* S. Silvestro in Capite
* S. Sisto Vecchio
* S. Sofia a Via Boccea
* S. Stefano Rotondo
* S. Teresa
* S. Vitale

* Basilicas list
* Catholicism portal

* v
* t
* e

Patriarchates in Christianity

Traditional ecclesiastical jurisdictions of primates in Christianity, sorted according to earliest apostolic legacy and branched where multiple denominational claimants:
bold blue = Catholic Church, light blue = Eastern Orthodox Church (* unrecognized), bold/light green = Oriental Orthodoxy, italic blue = Nestorianism, bold italic blue = pre-schism

Early
Christianity
(Antiquity)
(30–325/476)|

| Pentarchy
(five
apostolic
sees)|

| Patriarch of Rome (1st cent.)|

* Holy See (since 1st cent.)

|

Patriarch of Constantinople
(451)|

* Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (since 330)
* Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople (1204–1964)
* Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (since 1461)
* Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate (since 1924*)

Patriarch of Antioch
(1st cent.)|

* Patriarchate of Antioch (1st cent.–518)
* Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (since 518)
* Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (since 519)
* Maronite Patriarchate (since 685)
* Latin Patriarchate of Antioch (1099–1964)
* Syriac Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (since 1668)
* Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (since 1724)

* Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia (since 1058)
* Patriarchate of Cilicia (since 1740)

Patriarch of Alexandria
(1st cent.)|

* Patriarchate of Alexandria (1st cent.–451)
* Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (since 451)
* Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (since 451)
* Latin Patriarchate of Alexandria (1219–1964)
* Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria (since 1824)

Patriarch of Jerusalem (451)|

* Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (since 451)
* Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem (since 638)
* Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (since 1099)

Other|

| Patriarch of Carthage (2nd cent.)|

* Patriarch of Carthage (2nd cent.–1076)

|

Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
(280)|

* Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (280–1552)
* Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad (since 1553)
* Patriarchs of the Church of the East (Eliya line) (1558–1830)
* Patriarchs of the Church of the East (Shimun line) (1692–1830)
* Assyrian Church of the East Patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (since 1830)
* Ancient Church of the East Patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (since 1968)

Patriarch of Armenia (301)|

* Catholicos of All Armenians (Patriarch of Etchmiadzin) (since 301)

* Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia (since 1058)
* Patriarchate of Cilicia (since 1740)

Middle Ages
(476–1517)|

* Patriarchate of Aquileia (568–1751)
* Patriarchate of Grado (725–1451)
* Patriarchate of Bulgaria (919*/927–1018)
* Patriarchate of Georgia (1010–1811)
* Patriarchate of Cyprus (1185*–1191)
* Primate of Bulgaria (1204–1235)
* Tarnovo Patriarchate of Bulgaria (1235–1394)
* Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Peć (1346*/1375–1463)
* Patriarchate of Venice (since 1451)
* Catholicate of Abkhazia (15.*/16. century–1814)

Early Modern era
(1517–1789) |

* Patriarchate of the West Indies (since 1524)
* Latin Patriarchate of Ethiopia (1555–1663)
* Patriarchate of the East Indies (since 1572)
* Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Peć (1557–1766)
* Patriarchate of Moscow (since 1589)
* Patriarchate of Lisbon (since 1716)

Late Modern era
(since 1789)|

* Patriarchate of Karlovci (1848–1920)
* Patriarchate of Georgia (since 1917*/1990)
* Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Peć (since 1920)
* Patriarchate of Romania (since 1925)
* Patriarchate of Croatia (*1942–1945)
* Patriarchate of Bulgaria (since 1953)
* Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate of Ethiopia (since 1959)
* Patriarchate of Kyiv (1992*–2018; since 2019*)
* Eritrean Orthodox Patriarchate of Eritrea (since 1994)

Related|

* Apostolic Throne
* Episcopal see

* Christianity portal

* v
* t
* e

Countries and dependencies of Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia2
* Austria
* Azerbaijan1
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus2
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia1
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland3
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kazakhstan1
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia1
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey1
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Vatican City4

States with limited
recognition

* Abkhazia2
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus2
* South Ossetia2
* Transnistria

Dependent
territories

| Denmark|

* Faroe Islands3
* autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark

|

United Kingdom|

* Akrotiri and Dhekelia2 (Sovereign Base Areas)
* Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory)

Crown Dependencies|

* Bailiwick of Guernsey
* Alderney
* Guernsey
* Sark
* Bailiwick of Jersey
* Isle of Man

Special areas
of internal
sovereignty

| Finland|

* Åland (autonomous region subject to the Åland convention of 1921)

|

Norway|

* Svalbard (unincorporated area subject to the Svalbard Treaty)

United Kingdom|

* England
* Scotland
* Wales
* Northern Ireland (country of the United Kingdom subject to the British-Irish Agreement)

* 1 Spans the conventional boundary between Europe and another continent.
* 2 Considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons but is geographically in Western Asia.
* 3 Oceanic islands within the vicinity of Europe are usually grouped with the continent even though they are not situated on its continental shelf.
* 4 Governed by the Holy See which has sovereignty over Vatican City.

* Category
* Europe portal

* v
* t
* e

Council of Europe

Institutions|

* Secretary General
* Committee of Ministers
* Parliamentary Assembly
* Congress
* Court of Human Rights
* Commissioner for Human Rights
* Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
* Commission against Racism and Intolerance
* Venice Commission
* Pompidou Group

Members|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

Observers|

* Canada
* Holy See
* Israel
* Japan
* Mexico
* United States
* EU relations

Former members|

* Czechoslovakia (1991–1992)
* Russia (1996–2022)
* relations
* Saar (assoc. 1950–1956)
* Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006)

* v
* t
* e

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

Members|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Canada
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Holy See
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Kyrgyzstan
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Mongolia
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Tajikistan
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Uzbekistan

Partners for
Cooperation|

* Afghanistan
* Algeria
* Australia
* Egypt
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Morocco
* South Korea
* Thailand
* Tunisia

Relations: OSCE-participating States|

* Armenia–OSCE relations
* Azerbaijan–OSCE relations
* List of ambassadors of Italy to OSCE
* List of diplomats of the United Kingdom to the OSCE
* United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Bodies and posts|

* Parliamentary Assembly
* Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
* Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
* Commissioner on National Minorities
* Representative on Freedom of the Media
* OSCE Minsk Group

Active field missions|

* Presence in Albania
* Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Mission in Kosovo
* Mission to Montenegro
* Mission to Moldova
* Mission to Serbia
* Mission to Skopje
* Centre in Ashgabat
* Programme Office in Astana
* Programme Office in Bishkek
* Programme Office in Dushanbe
* Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan
* Personal Representatives of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office

Former field missions|

* Needs Assessment Team in Armenia
* Mission to Croatia
* Kosovo Verification Mission
* Community Security Initiative in Kyrgyzstan
* Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

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History of Europe

Prehistory|

* Paleolithic Europe
* Neolithic Europe
* Bronze Age Europe
* Iron Age Europe

Classical antiquity|

* Classical Greece
* Roman Republic
* Hellenistic period
* Roman Empire
* Early Christianity
* Christianity in late antiquity
* Crisis of the Third Century
* Fall of the Western Roman Empire
* Late antiquity

Middle Ages|

* Early Middle Ages
* Migration Period
* Christianity in the Middle Ages
* Christianization
* Francia
* Anglo-Saxon England
* Byzantine Empire
* Papal States
* Bulgarian Empire
* First
* Second
* Maritime republics
* Venice
* Genoa
* Pisa
* Amalfi
* Viking Age
* Kievan Rus'
* Crown of Aragon (Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Majorca)
* Holy Roman Empire
* High Middle Ages
* Republic of Florence
* Feudalism
* Crusades
* Mongol invasion
* Serbian Empire
* Late Middle Ages
* Black Death
* Hundred Years' War
* Kalmar Union

Modern period|

* Renaissance
* Early modern
* Christianity in the modern era
* Reformation
* Age of Discovery
* Baroque
* Grand Duchy of Tuscany
* Thirty Years' War
* Absolute monarchy
* Ottoman Empire
* Portuguese Empire
* Spanish Empire
* Early modern France
* Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
* Cossack Hetmanate
* Swedish Empire
* Dutch Republic
* British Empire
* Habsburg monarchy
* Russian Empire
* Age of Enlightenment
* Great Divergence
* Industrial Revolution
* French Revolution
* Napoleonic Wars
* Nationalism
* Revolutions of 1848
* World War I
* Russian Revolution
* Interwar period
* World War II
* Cold War
* European integration
* Euro area crisis
* COVID-19 pandemic
* Russian invasion of Ukraine

See also|

* Art of Europe
* Bibliography of European history
* Genetic history of Europe
* History of Christianity
* History of the Mediterranean region
* History of the European Union
* History of Western civilization
* Maritime history of Europe
* Military history of Europe
* Crusading movement

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* Korea

Other|

* Historical Dictionary of Switzerland
* Yale LUX

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