The Vatican: A Look Behind the Scenes of the Catholic Church

What comes to mind when you say the words “Vatican City?” The Pope? Big cathedrals or underground catacombs with the corpses of buried saints from the past? Crowds of people with candles? Or a choir of young men in a certain attire?

The Vatican is a landlocked, independent city state and enclave in Rome, Italy. The Vatican City State, also called the Vatican, acquired independence from Italy in the year 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a different terrain under the Holy See's "full ownership, special rule, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction," which makes sure the city state's temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence.

This is one of the world’s most unique states/countries, something that is definitely worth understanding. With about 1.4 billion Catholics, in the world, it can be worth your while to study this guide to understand where their leadership and headquarters are situated, and what they do.