Title: Vatican City | Encyclopedia.com
Headings: 
Vatican City
VATICAN CITY
MONETARY UNIT:
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT:
BALANCE OF TRADE:
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
LOCATION AND SIZE.
POPULATION.
OVERVIEW OF ECONOMY
POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND TAXATION
INFRASTRUCTURE, POWER, AND COMMUNICATIONS
SERVICES
POVERTY AND WEALTH
COUNTRY HISTORY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
FUTURE TRENDS
DEPENDENCIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Vatican City
Vatican City
Country Overview
INTRODUCTION
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Major Religion
ROMAN CATHOLICISM
HISTORY
EARLY AND MODERN LEADERS
MAJOR THEOLOGIANS AND AUTHORS
HOUSES OF WORSHIP AND HOLY PLACES
WHAT IS SACRED?
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
MODE OF DRESS
DIETARY PRACTICES
RITUALS
RITES OF PASSAGE
MEMBERSHIP
SOCIAL JUSTICE
SOCIAL ASPECTS
POLITICAL IMPACT
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
CULTURAL IMPACT
Other Religions
Bibliography
Vatican City
Vatican City
Culture Name
Alternative Names
Orientation
History and Ethnic Relations
Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space
Food and Economy
Social Stratification
Political Life
Social Welfare and Change Programs
Nongovernmental Organizations and Other Associations
Gender Roles and Statuses
Marriage, Family, and Kinship
Etiquette
Religion
Medicine and Health Care
Secular Celebrations
The Arts and Humanities
The State of the Physical and Social Sciences
Bibliography
Vatican City
Vatican City
Type of Government
Background
Government Structure
Major Events
Twenty-First Century
Vatican City State
Vatican City State
Bibliography
Vatican City State
Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City

Content: Appointed to office for life (the Polish cardinal, Karol Wojtila, became Pope John Paul II in 1978 and was still on the throne in 2001), the Pope has supreme executive, legislative, and judicial power over both the State of the Vatican City and the universal Roman Catholic Church. Given the wide scope of the Pontiff's authority, an intricate and complex structure of official agencies has been established to administer power within carefully designed categories. This structure is commonly known as the Roman Curia and its members are appointed and granted authority by the Pope. The Holy See is recognized under international law and enters into certain international agreements, but, strictly speaking, it is not a civil state operating under civil laws, but an absolute monarchy in control of the Roman Catholic Church, ruling according to the Apostolic Constitution of 1967. It is as the Holy See rather than the State of the Vatican that the country sends and receives diplomatic representatives to and from around the world. The head of government, generally a cardinal or archbishop whose appointment and authority is conferred by the Pope, is the secretary of state. He presides over the Pontifical Commission, or cabinet. The legal system governing church matters is founded in canon, or ecclesiastical, law but judicial matters outside the Church are dealt with by the Italian judiciary in Rome. There are no political parties in the country, but all cardinals under the age of 80 have the vote in electoral issues within the Church. Internally, the Sw