Vatican City State
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The relations of the United States with the Vatican have been controversial. For years, the United States had a diplomatic representative there without the rank of ambassador, but in the middle 1980s, the United States established full diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
The Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica are located here.
With a total area of less than a fifth of a square mile, it is often considered the world's smallest country.
It is home to the pope and central administration of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope maintains complete legal, executive, and judicial powers. The Vatican was established in the 1920s by a treaty between the pope and the Italian government.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Years after naming him as camerlengo, in 2023, Francis chose Farrell as president of the Supreme Court of Vatican City State.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025
He has appointed several women to key governing positions, including the No. 2 in the Vatican City State administration as well as several other high-ranking management roles.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2022
Petrini's new position of secretary general of the Governorate of the Vatican City State is comparable to being deputy governor of a state or deputy mayor of a city.
From Washington Post • Nov. 4, 2021
Vigano was a career Vatican diplomat who served in the secretariat of state before being named to run the Vatican City State in 2009.
From Washington Times • Nov. 16, 2020
The siblings' father worked as a messenger for the Vatican, and the family lived in Vatican City State.
From Fox News • Jul. 11, 2019
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
