the Vatican. A number of terrorist threats have been directed at the Vatican and the

city of Rome lately, with twitter hashtags ominously pronouncing “we are coming, O

Rome”. So, can the Vatican protect itself? How powerful is the Vatican?

“The Vatican” refers to the Vatican City, an independent sovereign territory located

in Rome. It is the home of the leader of the Roman Catholic church, the Pope, as well as

the Holy See, which is the government of the Catholic Church. Since the Vatican is an absolute

monarchy, its leader is the Pope. But its legislative branch is operated by a collection

of Cardinals, called the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. The Vatican is one

of the few micronations recognized as its own state by the United Nations and most other

countries.

The Vatican City is 0.17 sq mi, which is less than a quarter of New York’s Central Park.

Despite only being home to about 850 people, it’s global sphere of influence is huge.

The pope is the spiritual leader to more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide. In 2014, Forbes

called him the fourth most powerful person internationally. The Vatican brings in more

that $300 million dollars per year in revenue. This money comes from a variety of sources,

including investments, real estate, and donations.

The Vatican is politically powerful for its size. It’s a “non-member state permanent

observer” in the UN, which grants them privileges not usually held by small territories. They’re

sometimes allowed to debate in the General Assembly, and participate in meetings attended

by full-state members.

When it comes to protecting The Vatican, security and ceremonial duties are performed by the

Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps. Officially, the Vatican is a strictly neutral state, and

retains no defense treaties, but their close relationship with Italy gives them unofficial

military support. If terrorists were to attack the Vatican, Italy would be the first to respond,

and protect the region. The Vatican is also diplomatically on good terms with several

major Western powers.

So far, the ornately decorated religious capital has remained virtually untouched throughout

several wars. And although the Vatican City is one of the smallest states in the world,

with a small population, and no active military -- it remains a powerful voice among much

larger nations, due to its religious influence over 17% of the global population.

Pope Francis has made a ton of headlines since he has been the head of the Catholic Church.

To learn exactly what has made him such a well-liked leader, check out our video here.

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