foreign relations of the Holy See
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Politics of the Holy See}}The Holy See has long been recognised as a subject of international law and as an active participant in international relations. It is distinct from the city-state of the Vatican City, over which the Holy See has "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction".[http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/treaty.htm Article 3] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523023017/http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/treaty.htm |date=23 May 2018 }} of the Lateran Treaty, which founded the state
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.
While not being a member of the United Nations in its own right, the Holy See recognizes all UN member states (Except Afghanistan, Brunei, Laos, North Korea, The People's Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Vietnam). In addition, the Holy See recognizes The State of Palestine and The Republic of China (Taiwan).{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/13/vatican-to-sign-state-of-palestine-accord|title=Vatican to sign State of Palestine accord|work=The Guardian|date=13 May 2015 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-palestinians-idUSKBN0P618120150626|title=Vatican signs first treaty with 'State of Palestine', Israel angered|author=Philip Pullella|date=26 June 2015|work=Reuters}}
The term "Vatican Diplomatic Corps", by contrast with the diplomatic service of the Holy See, properly refers to all those diplomats accredited to the Holy See, not those who represent its interests to other nations and international bodies. Since 1961, Vatican diplomats also enjoy diplomatic immunity.{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/41727/holy-see-waives-diplomatic-immunity-for-accused-nuncio-to-france|title=Holy See waives diplomatic immunity for accused nuncio to France|website=Catholic News Agency}}
History
File:Donald Trump Pope Francis Melania Trump in 2017.jpg Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump meet with Pope Francis in 2017.]]
Since medieval times the episcopal see of Rome has been recognized as a sovereign entity. Earlier, there were papal representatives (apocrisiarii) to the Emperors of Constantinople, beginning in 453, but they were not thought of as ambassadors.{{rp|64}} In the eleventh century the sending of papal representatives to princes, on a temporary or permanent mission, became frequent.Hyginus Eugene Cardinale, (1976), The Holy See and the International Order, Colin Smythe, (Gerrards Cross), {{ISBN|0-900675-60-8}}.{{rp|65}} In the fifteenth century it became customary for states to accredit permanent resident ambassadors to the Pope in Rome.{{rp|68}} The first permanent papal nunciature was established in 1500 in Venice. Their number grew in the course of the sixteenth century to thirteen, while internuncios (representatives of second rank) were sent to less-powerful states.{{rp|70}} After enjoying a brilliant period in the first half of the seventeenth century, papal diplomacy declined after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, being assailed especially by royalists and Gallicans, and the number of functioning nuncios was reduced to two in the time of Napoleon, although in the same period, in 1805, Prussia became the first Protestant state to send an ambassador to Rome. There was a revival after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which, while laying down that, in general, the order of precedence between ambassadors would be determined by the date of their arrival, allowed special precedence to be given to the nuncio, by which he would always be the dean of the diplomatic corps.Boczek, Boleslaw Adam (2005). International Law: A Dictionary. p. 47. Scarecrow Press (Lanham, Maryland). {{ISBN|0-8108-5078-8}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8108-5078-1}}.
In spite of the extinction of the Papal States in 1870, and the consequent loss of territorial sovereignty, and 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 of Russia, Prussia, and Austria-Hungary.{{cite web|url=http://www.30giorni.it/it/articolo.asp?id=10264|title=30Giorni - Uno strumento docile e fedele al Papa (di Giovanni Lajolo)|access-date=20 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014138/http://www.30giorni.it/it/articolo.asp?id=10264|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}} Countries continued to receive nuncios as diplomatic representatives of full rank, and where, in accordance with the decision of the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Nuncio was not only a member of the Diplomatic Corps but its dean, this arrangement continued to be accepted by the other ambassadors.
With the First World War and its aftermath the number of states with diplomatic relations with the Holy See increased. For the first time since relations were broken between the Pope and Queen Elizabeth I of England, a British diplomatic mission to the Holy See was opened in 1914.{{cite web|url=http://ukinholysee.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/ambassador/previous-ambassador|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101115122617/http%3A//ukinholysee.fco.gov.uk/en/about%2Dus/our%2Dembassy/ambassador/previous%2Dambassador|url-status=dead|title=UK in the Holy See: Previous ambassadors|archive-date=15 November 2010}} The result was that, instead of diminishing, the number of diplomats accredited to the Holy See grew from sixteen in 1870 to twenty-seven in 1929, even before it again acquired territorial sovereignty with the founding of the State of Vatican City.[https://books.google.com/books?id=7VDcmDeLuV4C Philippe Levillain, John W. O'Malley, The Papacy: Gaius-Proxies] (Routledge, 2002 {{ISBN|0-415-92230-5}}, {{ISBN|978-0-415-92230-2}}), p. 718
In the same period, the Holy See concluded a total of twenty-nine concordats and other agreements with states, including Austro-Hungary in 1881, Russia in 1882 and 1907, France in 1886 and 1923. Two of these concordats were registered at the League of Nations at the request of the countries involved.[http://nccuir.lib.nccu.edu.tw/bitstream/140.119/11445/1/3561.pdf J.K.T. Chao, The Evolution of Vatican Diplomacy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130195419/http://nccuir.lib.nccu.edu.tw/bitstream/140.119/11445/1/3561.pdf|date=30 November 2012}} p. 27
While bereft of territorial sovereignty, the Holy See also accepted requests to act as arbitrator between countries, including a dispute between Germany and Spain over the Caroline Islands.
The Lateran Treaty of 1929 and the founding of the Vatican City State was not followed by any great immediate increase in the number of states with which the Holy See had official relations. This came later, especially after the Second World War.
Since World War II, the Holy See's foreign relations are generally associated with the concept of soft power and generally seek to promote peace and humanitarian programs.{{Rp|page=181}} The Holy See's foreign relations are less focused on traditional state interests like state security and the like.{{Rp|page=181}}
The Vienna Convention of 18 April 1961 also established diplomatic immunity for the Vatican's foreign diplomats. Such immunity can only be revoked by the Holy See.
Diplomatic relations
List of 183 countries which the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="3" |File:Diplomatic relations of the Holy See.svg |
| #
!Country |
|---|
| 1
|{{flag|Portugal}} |{{dts|12 February 1481}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Portugal |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxpt.html |access-date=7 January 2024}} |
| 2
|{{flag|Switzerland}} |
| 3
|{{flag|Spain}} |{{dts|March 1559}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Spain |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxes.html |access-date=26 May 2024}} |
| 4
|{{flag|France}} |{{dts|1600}}s |
| 5
|{{flag|Brazil}} |{{dts|17 July 1829}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Brazil |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxbr.html |access-date=26 May 2024}} |
| 6
|{{flag|Belgium}} |{{dts|17 July 1834}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Belgium |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxbe.html |access-date=7 January 2024}} |
| 7
|{{flag|Netherlands}} |{{dts|May 1829}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Netherlands |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxnl.html |access-date=7 January 2024}} |
| 8
|{{flag|Colombia}} |{{dts|26 November 1835}} |
| 9
|{{flag|Monaco}} |
| 10
|{{flag|Bolivia}} |{{dts|6 August 1877}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Bolivia |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxbo.html |access-date=26 May 2024}} |
| 11
|{{flag|Ecuador}} |{{dts|6 August 1877}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Ecuador |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxec.html |access-date=27 May 2024 |language=es}} |
| 12
|{{flag|Peru}} |{{dts|10 October 1877}}{{Cite book |title=Memoria que presenta al Congreso nacional ... |publisher=Peru. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores |year=1879 |pages=337 |language=es}} |
| 13
|{{flag|Chile}} |{{dts|15 December 1877}}{{Cite book |title=Memoria del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores |date=1879 |pages=17 |language=es}} |
| 14
|{{flag|Argentina}} |
| 15
|{{flag|Paraguay}} |
| 16
|{{flag|Uruguay}} |
| 17
|{{flag|Haiti}} |{{dts|1881}} |
| 18
|{{flag|Venezuela}} |{{dts|1881}} |
| 19
|{{flag|Luxembourg}} |{{dts|January 1891}}{{Cite web |title=Nunciature to Luxembourg |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxlu.html |access-date=28 November 2023}} |
| 20
|{{flag|Costa Rica}} |{{dts|19 August 1908}}{{Cite book |title=Colección de leyes, decretos, acuerdos y resoluciones |year=1908 |pages=163 |language=es}} |
| 21
|{{flag|Honduras}} |{{dts|19 December 1908}}{{Cite book |last=Giuseppe |first=De Marchi |title=Le nunziature apostoliche dal 1800 al 1956 |publisher=Ed. di Storia e Letteratura |year=1957 |pages=179 |language=it}} |
| style="background:#D3D3D3"
|— |{{flag|Nicaragua}} (suspended) |{{dts|19 December 1908}}{{Cite book |last=Giuseppe |first=De Marchi |title=Le nunziature apostoliche dal 1800 al 1956 |publisher=Ed. di Storia e Letteratura |year=1957 |pages=179 |language=it}}{{Cite news |date=13 March 2023 |title=Nicaragua asks the Holy See to close respective diplomatic missions |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-03/nicaragua-asks-the-holy-see-to-close-its-diplomatic-missions.html |access-date=26 May 2024}} |
| 22
|{{flag|Poland}} |
| 23
|{{flag|Czech Republic}} |{{Dts|24 October 1919}}{{Cite book |last=Šmíd |first=Marek |title=Mission: Apostolic Nuncio in Prague: Czechoslovakian-Vatican Diplomatic Relations between 1920 and 1950 |date=2020 |publisher=Karolinum Press |page=31 |doi=10.2307/jj.3643617 |jstor=jj.3643617|isbn=978-80-246-4685-5 }} |
| 24
|{{flag|Hungary}} |{{dts|10 August 1920}}{{Cite book |last1=Jedin |first1=Hubert |title=History of the Church |last2=Dolan |first2=John Patrick |publisher=Seabury Press |year=1980 |volume=10 |pages=521}}{{Cite book |title=Rapports: Chronologie |publisher=Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România |year=1980 |pages=537}} |
| 25
|{{flag|El Salvador}} |
| 26
|{{flag|Panama}} |
| 27
|{{flag|San Marino}} |{{dts|April 1926}} |
| 28
|{{flag|Romania}} |{{dts|10 May 1927}}{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic Relations of Romania |url=https://www.mae.ro/en/node/2187 |access-date=2 July 2022}} |
| 29
|{{flag|Liberia}} |{{dts|15 December 1927}} |
| 30
|{{flag|Italy}} |{{dts|24 June 1929}} |
| 31
|{{flag|Ireland}} |{{dts|27 November 1929}} |
| —
|{{flag|Sovereign Military Order of Malta}} |{{dts|February 1930}} |
| 32
|{{flag|Cuba}} |{{dts|2 September 1935}} |
| 33
|{{flag|Guatemala}} |{{dts|16 March 1936}} |
| 34
|{{flag|Japan}} |
| 35
|{{flag|Finland}} |
| —
|{{flag|Republic of China}} |{{dts|23 October 1942}}{{cite book |last=Chou-seng |first=Tou |author-link=:zh:杜筑生 |title=Memoir of Tou Chou-seng, Former Ambassador of the Republic of China to the Holy See |date=2022 |publisher=Fu Jen Catholic University Press |isbn=9789860729313 |page=365 |language=zh-tw |script-title=zh:飛鴻踏雪泥：中華民國前駐教廷大使杜筑生回憶錄 |quote=President Chen asked for his seat. I explained that concierges of the Holy See are arranging seats according to the ranks of special envoys and the alphabetical order of French country names of attendant countries, and that we certainly will be at the front row because our French country name is "Chine" and our president is attending personally. |script-quote=zh:陳總統問到他的座次，我解釋說，此時教廷禮賓官員正按特使團的層級及出席國家法文國名的字母次序安排座位，因為我國的法文明稱為“Chine”，又是總統親自出席，所以一定排在前列。}}{{Rp|page=181}} |
| 36
|{{flag|Austria}} |{{dts|9 August 1946}} |
| 37
|{{flag|Lebanon}} |{{dts|November 1946}} |
| 38
|{{flag|Egypt}} |{{dts|23 August 1947}} |
| 39
|{{flag|India}} |{{dts|12 June 1948}} |
| 40
|{{flag|Indonesia}} |{{dts|13 March 1950}} |
| 41
|{{flag|Philippines}} |{{dts|8 April 1951}} |
| 42
|{{flag|Pakistan}} |{{dts|6 October 1951}} |
| 43
|{{flag|Syria}} |{{dts|21 February 1953}} |
| 44
|{{flag|Iran}} |{{dts|2 May 1953}} |
| 45
|{{flag|Germany}} |{{dts|1 June 1954}} |
| 46
|{{flag|Dominican Republic}} |
| 47
|{{flag|Ethiopia}} |{{dts|20 March 1957}} |
| 48
|{{flag|Turkey}} |{{dts|25 January 1960}} |
| 49
|{{flag|Senegal}} |{{dts|17 November 1961}} |
| 50
|{{flag|Burundi}} |{{dts|11 February 1963}} |
| 51
|{{flag|Republic of the Congo}} |{{dts|16 February 1963}} |
| 52
|{{flag|South Korea}} |{{dts|11 December 1963}} |
| 53
|{{flag|Rwanda}} |{{dts|6 June 1964}} |
| 54
|{{flag|Zambia}} |{{dts|15 May 1965}} |
| 55
|{{flag|Kenya}} |{{dts|19 June 1965}} |
| 56
|{{flag|Malta}} |{{dts|15 December 1965}} |
| 57
|{{flag|Malawi}} |{{dts|5 February 1966}} |
| 58
|{{flag|Iraq}} |{{dts|26 August 1966}} |
| 59
|{{flag|Cameroon}} |{{dts|27 August 1966}} |
| 60
|{{flag|Uganda}} |{{dts|1 September 1966}} |
| 61
|{{flag|Madagascar}} |{{dts|24 December 1966}} |
| 62
|{{flag|Lesotho}} |{{dts|11 March 1967}} |
| 63
|{{flag|Central African Republic}} |{{dts|13 May 1967}} |
| 64
|{{flag|Gabon}} |{{dts|31 October 1967}} |
| 65
|{{flag|Thailand}} |{{dts|19 April 1968}} |
| 66
|{{flag|Tanzania}} |{{dts|28 April 1968}} |
| 67
|{{flag|Kuwait}} |{{dts|21 October 1968}} |
| 68
|{{flag|Canada}} |{{dts|16 October 1969}} |
| 69
|{{flag|Mauritius}} |{{dts|9 March 1970}} |
| 70
|{{flag|Serbia}} |{{dts|14 August 1970}} |
| 71
|{{flag|Ivory Coast}} |{{dts|26 October 1970}} |
| 72
|{{flag|Benin}} |{{dts|29 June 1971}} |
| 73
|{{flag|Niger}} |{{dts|20 July 1971}} |
| 74
|{{flag|Algeria}} |{{dts|6 March 1972}} |
| 75
|{{flag|Tunisia}} |{{dts|22 March 1972}} |
| 76
|{{flag|Sudan}} |{{dts|29 April 1972}} |
| 77
|{{flag|Bangladesh}} |{{dts|25 September 1972}} |
| 78
|{{flag|Cyprus}} |{{dts|31 January 1973}} |
| 79
|{{flag|Australia}} |{{dts|24 March 1973}} |
| 80
|{{flag|Burkina Faso}} |{{dts|14 June 1973}} |
| 81
|{{flag|New Zealand}} |{{dts|20 June 1973}} |
| 82
|{{flag|Sri Lanka}} |{{dts|6 September 1975}} |
| 83
|{{flag|Ghana}} |{{dts|20 November 1975}} |
| 84
|{{flag|Nigeria}} |{{dts|20 November 1975}} |
| 85
|{{flag|Morocco}} |{{dts|15 January 1976}} |
| 86
|{{flag|Cape Verde}} |{{dts|12 May 1976}} |
| 87
|{{flag|Iceland}} |
| 88
|{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}} |{{dts|31 January 1977}} |
| 89
|{{flag|Papua New Guinea}} |{{dts|7 March 1977}} |
| 90
|{{flag|Gambia}} |{{dts|7 June 1978}} |
| 91
|{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}} |{{dts|23 July 1978}} |
| 92
|{{flag|Fiji}} |{{dts|12 September 1978}} |
| 93
|{{flag|Grenada}} |{{dts|17 February 1979}} |
| 94
|{{flag|Barbados}} |{{dts|19 April 1979}} |
| 95
|{{flag|Greece}} |{{dts|17 July 1979}} |
| 96
|{{flag|Jamaica}} |{{dts|20 July 1979}} |
| 97
|{{flag|Bahamas}} |{{dts|27 July 1979}} |
| 98
|{{flag|Mali}} |{{dts|29 October 1979}} |
| 99
|{{flag|Zimbabwe}} |{{dts|26 June 1980}} |
| 100
|{{flag|Togo}} |{{dts|21 April 1981}} |
| 101
|{{flag|Singapore}} |{{dts|24 June 1981}} |
| 102
|{{flag|Dominica}} |{{dts|1 September 1981}} |
| 103
|{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}} |{{dts|24 December 1981}} |
| 104
|{{flag|United Kingdom}} |{{dts|16 January 1982}} |
| 105
|{{flag|Denmark}} |{{dts|2 August 1982}} |
| 106
|{{flag|Norway}} |{{dts|2 August 1982}} |
| 107
|{{flag|Sweden}} |{{dts|2 August 1982}} |
| 108
|{{flag|Belize}} |{{dts|9 March 1983}} |
| 109
|{{flag|Nepal}} |{{dts|10 September 1983}} |
| 110
|{{flag|United States}} |{{dts|10 January 1984}} |
| 111
|{{flag|Solomon Islands}} |{{dts|9 May 1984}} |
| 112
|{{flag|Seychelles}} |{{dts|27 July 1984}} |
| 113
|{{flag|Saint Lucia}} |{{dts|1 September 1984}} |
| 114
|{{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}} |{{dts|21 December 1984}} |
| 115
|{{flag|Liechtenstein}} |{{dts|28 August 1985}} |
| 116
|{{flag|Guinea}} |{{dts|21 June 1986}} |
| 117
|{{flag|Guinea-Bissau}} |{{dts|12 July 1986}} |
| 118
|{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}} |{{dts|15 December 1986}} |
| 119
|{{flag|Chad}} |{{dts|28 November 1988}} |
| 120
|{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}} |{{dts|16 April 1990}} |
| 121
|{{flag|Bulgaria}} |{{dts|6 December 1990}} |
| 122
|{{flag|Albania}} |{{dts|7 September 1991}} |
| 123
|{{flag|Lithuania}} |{{dts|30 September 1991}} |
| 124
|{{flag|Latvia}} |{{dts|1 October 1991}} |
| 125
|{{flag|Estonia}} |{{dts|3 October 1991}} |
| 126
|{{flag|Croatia}} |{{dts|8 February 1992}} |
| 127
|{{flag|Slovenia}} |{{dts|8 February 1992}} |
| 128
|{{flag|Ukraine}} |{{dts|8 February 1992}} |
| 129
|{{flag|Eswatini}} |{{dts|11 March 1992}} |
| 130
|{{flag|Mongolia}} |{{dts|4 April 1992}} |
| 131
|{{flag|Armenia}} |{{dts|23 May 1992}} |
| 132
|{{flag|Azerbaijan}} |{{dts|23 May 1992}} |
| 133
|{{flag|Georgia}} |{{dts|23 May 1992}} |
| 134
|{{flag|Moldova}} |{{dts|23 May 1992}} |
| 135
|{{flag|Nauru}} |{{dts|1 June 1992}} |
| 136
|{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} |{{dts|18 August 1992}} |
| 137
|{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}} |{{dts|27 August 1992}} |
| 138
|{{flag|Mexico}} |{{dts|21 September 1992}} |
| 139
|{{flag|Kazakhstan}} |{{dts|17 October 1992}} |
| 140
|{{flag|Uzbekistan}} |{{dts|17 October 1992}} |
| 141
|{{flag|Belarus}} |{{dts|11 November 1992}} |
| 142
|{{flag|Slovakia}} |{{dts|1 January 1993}} |
| 143
|{{flag|Marshall Islands}} |{{dts|30 December 1993}} |
| 144
|{{flag|Suriname}} |{{dts|16 January 1994}} |
| 145
|{{flag|Federated States of Micronesia}} |{{dts|26 January 1994}} |
| 146
|{{flag|Jordan}} |{{dts|3 March 1994}} |
| 147
|{{flag|South Africa}} |{{dts|5 March 1994}} |
| 148
|{{flag|Cambodia}} |{{dts|25 March 1994}} |
| 149
|{{flag|Samoa}} |{{dts|10 June 1994}} |
| 150
|{{flag|Israel}} |{{dts|15 June 1994}} |
| 151
|{{flag|Vanuatu}} |{{dts|20 July 1994}} |
| 152
|{{flag|Tonga}} |{{dts|24 August 1994}} |
| 153
|{{flag|North Macedonia}} |{{dts|21 December 1994}} |
| 154
|{{flag|Kiribati}} |{{dts|10 April 1995}} |
| 155
|{{flag|Andorra}} |{{dts|16 June 1995}} |
| 156
|{{flag|Eritrea}} |{{dts|15 July 1995}} |
| 157
|{{flag|Namibia}} |{{dts|12 September 1995}} |
| 158
|{{flag|Mozambique}} |{{dts|14 December 1995}} |
| 159
|{{flag|Turkmenistan}} |{{dts|10 June 1996}} |
| 160
|{{flag|Tajikistan}} |{{dts|15 June 1996}} |
| 161
|{{flag|Sierra Leone}} |{{dts|30 July 1996}} |
| 162
|{{flag|Libya}} |{{dts|10 March 1997}} |
| 163
|{{flag|Guyana}} |{{dts|9 June 1997}} |
| 164
|{{flag|Angola}} |{{dts|8 July 1997}} |
| 165
|{{flag|Yemen}} |{{dts|13 October 1998}} |
| 166
|{{flag|Palau}} |{{dts|17 December 1998}} |
| —
|{{flag|Cook Islands}} |{{dts|29 April 1999}} |
| 167
|{{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}} |{{dts|19 July 1999}} |
| 168
|{{flag|Bahrain}} |{{dts|12 January 2000}} |
| 169
|{{flag|Djibouti}} |{{dts|20 May 2000}} |
| 170
|{{flag|Timor-Leste}} |{{dts|20 May 2002}} |
| 171
|{{flag|Qatar}} |{{dts|18 November 2002}} |
| 172
|{{flag|Montenegro}} |{{dts|16 December 2006}} |
| 173
|{{flag|United Arab Emirates}} |
| 174
|{{flag|Botswana}} |{{dts|4 November 2008}} |
| 175
|{{flag|Russia}} |{{dts|9 December 2009}} |
| 176
|{{flag|Malaysia}} |{{dts|27 July 2011}} |
| 177
|{{flag|South Sudan}} |{{dts|22 February 2013}} |
| —
|{{flag|State of Palestine}} |
| 178
|{{flag|Mauritania}} |
| 179
|{{flag|Myanmar}} |{{dts|4 May 2017}} |
| 180
|{{flag|Oman}} |
Bilateral relations
{{Further|List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See|List of heads of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See}}The Holy See, as a non-state sovereign entity and full subject of international law, started establishing diplomatic relations with sovereign states in the 15th century.{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_20010123_holy-see-relations_en.html|title=Bilateral and Multilateral Relations of the Holy See, update on October 22, 2009|access-date=20 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709142833/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_20010123_holy-see-relations_en.html|archive-date=9 July 2014}} It had the territory of the States of the Church under its direct sovereign rule since centuries before that time. Currently it has the territory of the State of the Vatican City under its direct sovereign rule. In the period of 1870–1929 between the annexation of Rome by the Kingdom of Italy and the ratification of the Lateran Treaty establishing the current Vatican City State, the Holy See was devoid of territory. In this period some states suspended their diplomatic relations, but others retained them (or established such relations for the first time or reestablished them after a break), so that the number of states that did have diplomatic relations with the Holy See almost doubled (from 16 to 27) in the period between 1870 and 1929.
The Holy See currently has diplomatic relations with 183 sovereign states{{cite web|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/01/07/190107a.html|title=Informative Note on the Diplomatic Relations of the Holy See|website=press.vatican.va}} (including the partially internationally recognized Republic of China) and, in addition, with the sovereign entity Order of Malta and the supranational union European Union.https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/01/07/190107a.html=english|archivedate=January 2019 The Holy See also has established official diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine.
By agreement with the government of Vietnam, it has a non-resident papal representative to that country.{{cite web|url=http://www.ncronline.org/news/global/pope-names-first-diplomatic-representative-vietnam|title=Pope names first diplomatic representative to Vietnam|access-date=20 February 2015|archive-date=20 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220213335/http://ncronline.org/news/global/pope-names-first-diplomatic-representative-vietnam|url-status=dead}} It has official formal contacts, without establishing diplomatic relations, with: Afghanistan, Brunei, Somalia and Saudi Arabia.{{cite web|url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1341731?eng=y|title=The Holy See's Diplomatic Net. Latest Acquisition: Russia|author=Elemedia S.p.A. - Area Internet|access-date=20 February 2015}}
The Holy See additionally maintains some apostolic delegates to local Catholic Church communities which are not accredited to the governments of the respective states and work only in an unofficial, non-diplomatic capacity.{{cite web|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/delegations.htm|title=Apostolic Delegations|access-date=20 February 2015}} The regions and states where such non-diplomatic delegates operate are: Brunei, Comoros, Laos, Maldives, Somalia, Vietnam, Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories (Palestine), Pacific Ocean (Tuvalu, dependent territoriesAmerican Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue (dependent but self-governing), Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Pitcairn Islands, Tokelau, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Wallis and Futuna), Arabian Peninsula (foreigners in Saudi Arabia), Antilles (dependent territoriesThe dependent territories/constituent countries/overseas departments Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Turks and Caicos Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.), apostolic delegate to Kosovo[http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=111500 Note On Appointment Of Apostolic Delegate To Kosovo]:"being completely distinct from considerations regarding juridical and territorial situations or any other question inherent to the diplomatic activity of the Holy See." (Republic of Kosovo) and the apostolic prefecture of Western Sahara (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic).
The Holy See has no relations of any kind with the following states:
- Kingdom of Bhutan (see Catholic Church in Bhutan)
- Republic of the Maldives (see Catholic Church in the Maldives)
- People's Republic of China (see Catholic Church in China)
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea (see Catholic Church in North Korea)
91 embassies to the Holy See are based in Rome.
The Holy See is the only European subject of international law to have diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan), although there have been reports of informal talks between the Holy See and the government of the People's Republic of China on establishing diplomatic relations,{{cite journal | last = Bozzato | first = Fabrizio | title = Holy See-China-Taiwan: A Cross-Strait Triangle | url = http://www.irjournal.pl/Holy-See-China-Taiwan-A-Cross-Strait-Triangle,123954,0,2.html | journal = Stosunki Międzynarodowe – International Relations | publisher = Tamkang University | date = 2019 | volume = 55 | number = 2 | doi = 10.7366/020909612201901 | page = 7| doi-broken-date = 24 November 2024 }} restoring the situation that existed when the papal representative, Antonio Riberi, was part of the diplomatic corps that accepted the Communist government military victory instead of withdrawing with the Nationalist authorities to Taiwan.{{Cite book |last=Moody |first=Peter |title=The Taiwan Question in Xi Jinping's Era: Beijing's Evolving Taiwan Policy and Taiwan's Internal and External Dynamics |publisher=Routledge |year=2024 |isbn=9781032861661 |editor-last=Zhao |editor-first=Suisheng |editor-link=Suisheng Zhao |location=London and New York |chapter=The Vatican and Taiwan: An Anomalous Diplomatic Relationship}}{{Rp|page=183}} He was later expelled,{{Rp|page=184}} after which the Holy See sent its representative to Taipei instead.{{Rp|page=187}}
During the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI relations were established with Montenegro (2006), the United Arab Emirates (2007), Botswana (2008), Russia (2009), Malaysia (2011), and South Sudan (2013),{{cite web|url=http://visnews-en.blogspot.co.at/2013/02/holy-see-and-republic-of-south-sudan.html|title=Holy See and Republic of South Sudan Establish Diplomatic Ties|publisher=Vatican Information Service|date=22 February 2013|access-date=22 February 2013}} and during the pontificate of Pope Francis, diplomatic relations were established with the State of Palestine (2015),{{Cite web |title=Israeli response to Vatican recognition of PA as a state 26 Jun 2015 |url=https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2015/Pages/Israeli-response-to-Vatican-recognition-of-PA-as-a-state-26-Jun-2015.aspx |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=mfa.gov.il}} Mauritania (2016),{{cite web|url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2016/12/09/0890/01975.html|title=Comunicato della Sala Stampa: Allacciamento delle relazioni diplomatiche tra la Santa Sede e la Repubblica Islamica di Mauritania|date=9 December 2016|publisher=Holy See Press Office|language=it}} Myanmar (2017),{{cite web|url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/05/04/170504c.html|title=Holy See Press Office Communiqué: Establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Holy See|publisher=Holy See Press Office|date=4 May 2017}} and Oman (2023).{{Cite news |date=23 February 2023 |title=Holy See and Sultanate of Oman establish full diplomatic relations |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-02/holy-see-and-sultanate-of-oman-establish-diplomatic-relations.html |access-date=23 February 2023}} "Relations of a special nature" had previously been in place with Russia.{{cite web|url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1341731?eng=y|title=The Holy See's Diplomatic Net. Latest Acquisition: Russia|last1=Magister|first1=Sandro|date=14 January 2010|publisher=www.chiesa|access-date=18 June 2010}}
{{Clear}}
=Africa=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;" | |
| style="width:15%;"| Country
! style="width:12%;"| Formal relations begun or resumed !Notes | |
|---|---|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Algeria}} | 1972
|See Algeria–Holy See relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Central African Republic}} | 1967
|See Central African Republic–Holy See relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}} | 1977
|See Democratic Republic of the Congo–Holy See relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Egypt}} | 1947
|See Apostolic Nunciature to Egypt. Pope Francis met Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmad al-Tayyeb in several occasions to improve relations among different faiths.{{cite web|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/11/15/191115i.html|title=Holy See Press Office Communiqué: Audience with the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, and entourage, 15.11.2019|website=press.vatican.va|date=15 November 2019}} |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Ivory Coast}} | 1970 |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Kenya}} | 1959
|
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Madagascar}} | 1960
|
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Republic of the Congo}} | 1963
|See Republic of the Congo–Holy See relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Rwanda}} | 1964
|
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Sudan}} | 1969
|
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Mozambique}} | 1977
|
|
=Americas=
=Asia=
=Europe=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;" | ||
| style="width:15%;"| Country
! style="width:12%;"| Formal relations begun or resumed !Notes | ||
|---|---|---|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Albania}} | 1991
|
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Belgium}} | 1835 | See Apostolic Nunciature to Belgium. |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} | 1992
|See Bosnia and Herzegovina–Holy See relations.
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Croatia}} | 1992
|See Croatia–Holy See relations.
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Cyprus}} | See Apostolic Nunciature to Cyprus. | |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Denmark}} | 1982
|
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|European Union}} | 1970 | See Holy See–European Union relations.
Many of the founders of the European Union were inspired by Catholic ideals, notably Robert Schuman, Alcide de Gasperi, Konrad Adenauer, and Jean Monnet.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040830094408/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/08/19/wvatic19.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/08/19/ixworld.html "Vatican Resists Drive to Canonise EU Founder"], by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, 19 August 2004{{cite web|last=Luxmoore|first=Jonathan|title=Finding Catholic inspiration in the European Union|url=http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/Finding-Catholic-inspiration-in-the-European-Union-634-4-1.html|access-date=24 January 2011|newspaper=The Herald|date=7 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711163618/http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/Finding-Catholic-inspiration-in-the-European-Union-634-4-1.html|archive-date=11 July 2011|url-status=dead}} |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Finland}} | 1942{{cite web|url=https://insidethevatican.com/magazine/vatican-watch/holy-see-and-finland-70-years-of-diplomatic-relations/|title=Holy See and Finland: 70 Years of Diplomatic Relations|website=Inside the Vatican|date=September 2012 |access-date=5 Apr 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/3540|title=Pope meets the Ambassador of Finland|access-date=5 Apr 2022}} | Finland has a resident embassy to the Holy See in Rome,{{cite web|url=https://finlandabroad.fi/web/vat/current-affairs/-/asset_publisher/SKOF4bdzBzBF/content/new-ambassador-to-the-holy-see/384951|title=New Ambassador to the Holy See|access-date=5 Apr 2022}} located at the Finnish Institute in Rome in Villa Lante al Gianicolo. |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|France}} | No later than 987, based upon already-established relations no later than 714 | See France–Holy See relations.
Relations between France and the Catholic Church are very ancient and have existed since the fifth century AD, and have been durable to the extent that France is sometimes called the eldest daughter of the Church. Areas of cooperation between Paris and the Holy See have traditionally included education, health care, the struggle against poverty and international diplomacy. Before the establishment of the welfare state, Church involvement was evident in many sectors of French society. Today, Paris's international peace initiatives are often in line with those of the Holy See, who favors dialogue on a global level. |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Germany}} | 1951
|See Germany–Holy See relations.
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Greece}} | 1980 | See Greece–Holy See relations.
|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-52755180.html |title=Almanac |access-date=7 May 2009 |quote=In 2001, Pope John Paul II flew to Greece to begin a journey retracing the steps of the Apostle Paul through historic lands. ... |publisher=United Press International}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Iceland}} | 1977 | Diplomatic relations were established in 1977, but the Pope Paul VI in his greeting to the first Ambassador from Iceland referred to these relations as "the millenary ties between your people (i.e. of Iceland) and the Catholic Church".{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/speeches/1977/december/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19771203_ambasciatore-islanda_en.html|title=To the first Ambassador of Republic of Iceland, 3 December 1977|access-date=20 February 2015}} |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Ireland}} | 1929 | See Holy See–Ireland relations.
The majority of Irish people are Roman Catholic. The Holy See has a nunciature in Dublin. Ireland had, in Rome, an embassy to the Holy See. The government closed that embassy in 2011 for financial reasons; however, it re-opened the embassy in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.dfa.ie/embassies/irish-embassies-abroad/europe/holy-see/|title=Diplomatic and Consular Information for the Holy See|publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|access-date=26 March 2014}} Currently Ireland's representative to the Holy See is a 'non-resident ambassador', who is an ordinary resident of Dublin. |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Italy}} | 1929 | See Holy See–Italy relations.
Because of the small size of the Vatican City State, embassies accredited to the Holy See are based on Italian territory. Treaties signed between Italy and the Vatican City State permit such embassages. Like the Embassy of Italy, the Embassy of Andorra to the Holy See is also based on its home territory. |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Lithuania}} | 1991
|
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Luxembourg}} | 1891 | |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Malta}} | 1127 1530; 1798; 1800; 1813 1965 |
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Monaco}} | 1875 | |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Netherlands}} | 1829 | See Apostolic Nunciature to the Netherlands.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Norway}} | 1982 | See Holy See–Norway relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Poland}} | 1555 | See Holy See–Poland relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Portugal}} | 1179 1670 1918 | Portugal has one of the oldest relations with the Holy See; it received formal recognition as independent from Castile in 1179 and has always kept a strong relation with the Holy See following the maritime expansion and the Christianization of overseas territories. Relations suspended from 1640 to 1670, following the war against Spain (the Holy See did not recognise the Portuguese independence before the end of the war in 1668) and from 1911 to 1918 (following the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic in October 1910 and the approvation of the Law of Separation of the Church and the State). Concordats signed in 1940 and 2004.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Romania}} | 1920;1990 | See Holy See–Romania relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Russia}} | 2009 | See Holy See–Russia relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Serbia}} | 2003 | See Holy See–Serbia relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Spain}} | 1530 | See Holy See–Spain relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Switzerland}} | 1586 | See Holy See–Switzerland relations.
|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Ukraine}} | 1992
|
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|United Kingdom}} | 1982 | See Holy See–United Kingdom relations.
With the English Reformation, diplomatic links between London and the Holy See, which had been established in 1479, were interrupted in 1536 and again, after a brief restoration in 1553, in 1558. Formal diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Holy See were restored in 1914 and raised to ambassadorial level in 1982.{{cite web|url=http://ukinholysee.fco.gov.uk/en/working-with-holy-see/relations2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020015109/http://ukinholysee.fco.gov.uk/en/working-with-holy-see/relations2/|url-status=dead|title=British Embassy to the Holy See: "UK-Holy See relations"|archive-date=20 October 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/country-profiles/europe/holy-see?profile=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728064003/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/country-profiles/europe/holy-see?profile=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 July 2008|title=Holy See|access-date=17 September 2008|quote=Formal diplomatic links between the United Kingdom and the Holy See were first established in 1479 when John Shirwood was appointed as the first resident Ambassador. Shirwood was also the first English Ambassador to serve abroad, making the embassy to the Holy See the oldest embassy in the UK diplomatic service.|publisher=Foreign and Commonwealth Office}} |
=Oceania=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;" | ||
| style="width:15%;"| Country
! style="width:12%;"| Formal relations begun or resumed !Notes | ||
|---|---|---|
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Australia}} | 1973
|
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|New Zealand}} | 1948
|
| |
| valign="top"
|{{flag|Papua New Guinea}} | 1973 | See Holy See-Papua New Guinea relations.
|
Multilateral politics
=Participation in international organizations=
The Holy See is active in international organizations and is a member of the following groups:{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_20010123_holy-see-relations_en.html|title=Bilateral Relations of the Holy See|publisher=Holy See website|access-date=24 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709142833/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_20010123_holy-see-relations_en.html|archive-date=9 July 2014}}
{{colbegin}}
- International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- International Organization for Migration (IOM){{cite web|url=http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/member-states|title=Member States|publisher=International Organization for Migration|access-date=13 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123171532/http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/member-states|archive-date=23 January 2012|url-status=dead}}
- International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI)
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
- International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
{{colend}}
The Holy See has the status of permanent observer state in:
- United Nations (UN)
- World Health Organization (WHO){{cite web|title=Comunicato della Santa Sede|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/06/01/0350/00761.html|access-date=2021-06-02|website=press.vatican.va}}
The Holy See is also a permanent observer of the following international organizations:
{{colbegin}}
- Council of Europe in Strasbourg
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- International Commission on Civil Status (CIEC)
- Latin Union (LU)
- Organization of American States (OAS)
- Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
- United Nations
- UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP)
- United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- World Tourism Organization (WToO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
{{colend}}
The Holy See is an observer on an informal basis of the following groups:
{{colbegin}}
- Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO)
- International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (ISDR, 1990s)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS)
- World Meteorological Organization in Geneva (WMO)
{{colend}}
The Holy See sends a delegate to the Arab League in Cairo. It is also a guest of honour to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
=Activities of the Holy See within the United Nations system=
{{Main|Holy See and the United Nations}}
{{Further|Multilateral foreign policy of the Holy See}}
Since 6 April 1964, the Holy See has been a permanent observer state at the United Nations. In that capacity, the Holy See has since had a standing invitation to attend all the sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council to observe their work, and to maintain a permanent observer mission at the UN headquarters in New York.{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/members/nonmembers.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209033633/http://www.un.org/members/nonmembers.shtml|url-status=dead|title=UN site on Permanent Missions|archive-date=9 February 2007}} Accordingly, the Holy See has established a Permanent Observer Mission in New York, has sent representatives to all open meetings of the General Assembly and of its Main Committees, and has been able to influence their decisions and recommendations.
Relationship with Vatican City
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.
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 an indisputable sovereignty in international affairs" (quotations from the treaty). Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Holy See's former Secretary for Relations with States, said that the Vatican City is a "minuscule support-state that guarantees the spiritual freedom of the Pope with the minimum territory."{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_doc_20020422_tauran_en.html|title=Holy See's Presence in the International Organizations|access-date=20 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215051159/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_doc_20020422_tauran_en.html|archive-date=15 February 2014}}
The Holy See, not Vatican City, maintains diplomatic relations with states, and foreign embassies are accredited to the Holy See, not to Vatican City State. It is the Holy See that establishes treaties and concordats with other sovereign entities and likewise, generally, it is the Holy See that participates in international organizations, with the exception of those dealing with technical matters of clearly territorial character, such as:
{{colbegin}}
- European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)
- European Telecommunication Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT)
- International Grains Council (IGC)
- International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IISA)
- International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Interpol{{cite web|url=http://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Europe/Vatican-City-State|title=Membership Vatican City State|publisher=Interpol|access-date=5 June 2012|archive-date=8 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408152039/http://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Europe/Vatican-City-State|url-status=dead}}
- Universal Postal Union (UPU)
{{colend}}
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.
Diplomatic representations to the Holy See
Of the diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See, 91 are situated in Rome, although those countries, if they also have an embassy to Italy, then have two embassies in the same city, since, by agreement between the Holy See and Italy, the same person cannot at the same time be accredited to both. The United Kingdom recently housed its embassy to the Holy See in the same chancery as its embassy to the Italian Republic, a move that led to a diplomatic protest from the Holy See. An ambassador accredited to a country other than Italy can be accredited also to the Holy See. For example, the embassy of India in Bern, accredited to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, is also accredited to the Holy See, while the Holy See maintains an Apostolic Nunciature in New Delhi. For reasons of economy, smaller countries accredit to the Holy See a mission situated elsewhere and accredited also to the country of residence and perhaps other countries.
=Rejection of ambassadorial candidates=
It has been reported on several occasions that the Holy See will reject ambassadorial candidates whose personal lives are not in accordance with Catholic teachings. In 1973, the Vatican rejected the nomination of Dudley McCarthy as Australia's non-resident ambassador due to his status as a divorcee.{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110709654|title=Proposed envoy not accepted|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=15 May 1973}} According to press accounts in Argentina in January 2008, the country's nominee as ambassador, Alberto Iribarne, a Catholic, was rejected on the grounds that he was living with a woman other than the wife from whom he was divorced.{{cite web|url=http://ncronline.org/node/11574|title=Vatican nixes Argentina's ambassador on grounds of divorce|access-date=20 February 2015}} In September 2008, French and Italian press reports likewise claimed that the Holy See had refused the approval of several French ambassadorial candidates, including a divorcee and an openly gay man.{{cite web|url=http://ncronline.org/node/2074|title=Vatican rejects France's new gay ambassador|access-date=20 February 2015}}
Massimo Franco, author of Parallel Empires, asserted in April 2009 that the Obama administration had put forward three candidates for consideration for the position of United States Ambassador to the Holy See, but each of them had been deemed insufficiently anti-abortion by the Vatican. This claim was denied by the Holy See's spokesman Federico Lombardi, and was dismissed by former ambassador Thomas Patrick Melady as being in conflict with diplomatic practice. Vatican sources said that it is not the practice to vet the personal ideas of those who are proposed as ambassadors to the Holy See, though in the case of candidates who are Catholics and who are living with someone, their marital status is taken into account. Divorced people who are not Catholics can in fact be accepted, provided their marriage situation is in accord with the rules of their own religion.Thavis, John (4 April 2009). [http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0901631.htm "Vatican Dismisses Report That It Rejected US Ambassador Picks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415132315/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0901631.htm|date=15 April 2009}}. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
Treaties and concordats
{{Main|Concordat}}
{{Further|Holy See and the United Nations#Multilateral treaties|Treaties of the Holy See}}
Since the Holy See is legally capable of ratifying international treaties, and does ratify them, it has negotiated numerous bilateral treaties with states and it has been invited to participate – on equal footing with States – in the negotiation of most universal International law-making treaties. Traditionally, an agreement on religious matters between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state is called a concordat. This often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country, such as exemptions from certain legal matters and processes, issues such as taxation, as well as the right of a state to influence the selection of bishops within its territory.
Bibliography
- Breger, Marshall J. et al. eds. The Vatican and Permanent Neutrality (2022) [https://www.amazon.com/Vatican-Permanent-Neutrality-Marshall-Breger/dp/1793642168/ excerpt]
- Cardinale, Hyginus Eugene (1976). The Holy See and the International Order. Colin Smythe, (Gerrards Cross). {{ISBN|0-900675-60-8}}.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_20010123_holy-see-relations_en.html Bilateral relations of the Holy See (official Vatican site)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140215051159/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_doc_20020422_tauran_en.html Lecture on Vatican diplomacy, by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran]
- [https://holyseemission.org/contents/mission/diplomatic-relations-of-the-holy-see.php Diplomatic Relations Of The Holy See]
{{Foreign relations of the Holy See}}
{{Vatican City topics}}
{{Holy See}}
{{Europe topic|Foreign relations of|UK_only=yes}}