Vatican City - Governance

Governance

Vatican City State
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Vatican City
  • Fundamental Law
  • Pope: Benedict XVI
  • Pontifical Commission
    • President: Giuseppe Bertello
  • Secretariat of State
    • Cardinal Secretary: Tarcisio Bertone
  • Conclave: 2005
  • Apostolic Signatura
    • Prefect: Raymond Leo Burke
  • Roman Rota
    • Dean: Pio Vito Pinto
  • Foreign relations
    • Lateran Treaty
  • Military
  • Vicar General
  • Financial Information Authority
  • Other countries
  • Atlas

Politics portal

The politics of Vatican City takes place in an absolute elective monarchy, in which the head of the Roman Catholic Church takes power. The Pope exercises principal legislative, executive, and judicial power over the State of Vatican City (an entity distinct from the Holy See), which is a rare case of a non-hereditary monarchy.

Vatican City is currently the only widely recognised independent state that has not become a member of the UN. The Holy See, which is distinct from Vatican City State, has permanent observer status with all the rights of a full member except for a vote in the UN General Assembly.

Read more about this topic:  Vatican City

Famous quotes containing the word governance:

    “He yaf me al the bridel in myn hand,
    To han the governance of hous and land,
    And of his tonge and his hand also;”
    —Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400)