The Holy See's diplomatic history began in the fourth century, but
the boundaries of the papacy's temporal power have shifted over the
centuries. From the 8th century through the middle of the 19th
century, the Popes held sway over the Papal States, which included a
broad band of territory across central Italy. In 1860, after
prolonged civil and regional unrest, Victor Emmanuel's army seized
the Papal States, leaving only Rome and surrounding coastal regions
under papal control.
In 1870, Victor Emmanuel captured Rome itself and declared it the
new capital of Italy, ending papal claims to temporal power. Pope
Pius IX and his successors disputed the legitimacy of these acts and
proclaimed themselves to be "prisoners" in the Vatican. Finally, in
1929, the Italian Government and the Holy See signed three
agreements resolving the dispute:
A treaty recognizing the independence and sovereignty of the Holy
See and creating the State of the Vatican City;
A concordat defining the relations between the government and the
church within Italy; and
A financial convention providing the Holy See with compensation for
its losses in 1870.
A revised concordat, altering the terms of church-state relations,
was signed in 1984. |
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