Vatican City
About this date: The Lateran Treaty was signed on 11 February 1929 and ratified on 7 June. This is not the date Christianity, the papacy, or the Holy See began.
Vatican City is the territorial state established by the Lateran Treaty in 1929 to support the Holy See's independence. The Holy See, the ancient Roman church, the papal office, and the modern state are related but are not interchangeable historical or legal entities.
Historical context
A modern sovereign state provides a territorial setting for an older ecclesiastical institution. Treating their dates as the same produces an avoidable historical error.
Key points
- The Holy See's official account distinguishes its juridical identity from that of Vatican City State.
- Vatican I and Vatican II are named councils with their own dates and documents; neither is simply another name for the 1929 treaty.