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Definition:
The Vatican is 109 acres on a hill on the west bank of the Tiber river. One of
the smallest city-states in the world, it was officially created by the Lateran
Treaty in 1929 between Italy and the Holy See. It is a theocratic state run by
the pope and the Roman Catholic clergy. It has its own police force (the Swiss
guard), it's own stamps, and its own library and museums. Only a few people have
citizenship in the Vatican and even then only for so long as they reside there.
Sometimes, the term "the Vatican" is used to refer to the Roman Catholic hierarchy or the Roman Catholic church as a whole because that is where the central authority of Roman Catholicism resides.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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