Vatican

The smallest state in the world

The smallest state in the world

Population

Population

2020: Population growth of 40.6% over 30 years

Migration

2021:100% of the population are immigrants

Доля иммигрантов в населении countries as of 2021

Dad

Countries of origin of the Popes of Rome, as of 2022

Awards

Economy

Budget

2024: Being on the verge of bankruptcy due to disillusioned Catholics

In early December 2024, it became known that the Vatican was on the verge of bankruptcy due to a collapse in revenues. The reason is a sharp decline in donations from disillusioned Catholics.

According to the Express newspaper, in 2023 the operating deficit of the Vatican, the residence of the Pope, amounted to approximately €83 million. This is €5 million more than the previous year. One of the main reasons for the lack of funds is a decrease in donations from Catholic churches around the world, as well as from the population. Donations serve as one of the Vatican's three main sources of income - along with money generated from real estate sales and museum tickets.

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It is noted that many Catholics stopped making donations, disappointed in the reforms of Pope Francis. In addition, the number of visitors to the city-state as of 2024 did not recover to the level observed before the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting macroeconomic situation also has a negative impact on income: the growing financial crisis may affect the Vatican's ability to pay pensions. The negative balance of the local pension fund is estimated at €631 million.

The current system is not able to guarantee the fulfillment of pension obligations in the medium term. We face serious problems that can get worse if they are not addressed in time, says Pope Francis.

The pontiff added that "urgent structural measures" must be taken to ensure the stability of the pension fund. The Vatican hopes to replenish its coffers with an expected increase in tourists to Rome in 2025. Guests are expected to spend significant money on cultural programs.^[1]

Tourism

Share of foreign tourists in the average day to the population of the country as of 2020

Bank

2022: Decision to transfer all financial assets to Vatican bank

In August 2022, Pope Francis ordered that the Holy See and related organizations transfer all financial assets to the Vatican Bank.

2021: Ex-Vatican bank governor Angelo Kaloya sentenced to 9 years in prison for embezzlement

In January 2021, the ex-head of the Vatican Bank Angelo Kaloya was sentenced to 9 years in prison for money laundering and embezzlement. He was president of the Vatican bank for ten years.

Investments

2022: Vatican sets up investment committee

In June 2022, the Vatican created an investment committee, as announced by the press service of the Holy See. The formed organization will have to ensure the ethical nature of the investment.

Members of the Vatican's investment committee have been appointed for a five-year term. They will have to ensure the ethical nature of the Holy See's equity investment and meet the criteria for profitability, suitability and moderation of risk. The investment committee was provided for by Article 227 of the Apostolic Constitution of Praedicate Evangelium, which entered into force on June 5, 2022.

Vatican set up investment committee

It will be presided over by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, prefect of the Directorate of Laity, Family and Life. The Committee has four members: RegHedge Founder and CEO Jean Pierre Casey, Union Investment Privatfonds Managing Director Giovanni Christian Michael Gay, Skagen Funds Portfolio Manager David Harris, Boston College Chief Investment Officer John Zona Jr.

The work of the committee will be compliance with ethical standards when investing in the capital of various companies, as well as assessing their risk and possible profitability until 2030. Which sectors the Holy See's investments will focus on is not specified in the Vatican's message.

The Vatican City State is located in the capital of Italy, Rome. It has the international status of the residence of the Holy See - the highest spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. The smallest state in the world, whose area is 0.44 square meters. km, and the total length of the state border is 3.2 km.

Financial management of the Roman Catholic Church, its religious orders, charitable organizations, as well as Vatican employees is carried out by the official Vatican bank, the Institute of Religious Affairs. In 2021, the institute earned €18.1 million in net profit according to international accounting standards. The organization's net interest margin grew by 15%, and net commission income by 22%, assets under management by 4%.^[2]

Consumption

Cars

2022: Minimum age to drive - 21

Data for 2022

Crime

2021: Low rate of premeditated murder

Число умышленных убийств в To Europe US by data available for 2021

Catholicism in Russia

Main article: Catholicism in Russia

History

2023

"Green light" to introduce LGBT people to the sacrament of baptism

In November 2023, the prefect of the Dicasteria of the Doctrine of the Faith - the oldest of the Vatican structures responsible for orthodoxy, purity of doctrine and morality - signed a document allowing transsexuals to be baptized and godparent.

Moreover, the official media of the Roman Catholic Church confirm that the pope also approved this document. True, with an interesting wording - "if it does not cause a scandal among believers."

In some Italian publications, answers to the most popular questions on this topic have already appeared:

• Transsexuals can be admitted to baptism and if they have undergone hormone therapy, and gender reassignment surgery - and without them.

• Homosexuals also received the right to be godparents, provided that they lead a "lifestyle consistent with faith."

• Children of homosexual couples - including those born by surrogacy - can also be admitted to baptism, with the condition of "reasonable hope that the child will be raised in the Catholic faith."

Awarding Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan with the Order of Chivalry for the surrender of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan

In October 2023, the Order of St. Grigory Veliky was awarded to the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan with the Order of Pius IX.

The Armenian press service calls this order one of the highest awards of the Vatican - but, in fact, it ranks only third in rank among the papal orders of chivalry, it can be received by officials of the papal administration, officers of the Swiss Guard, and even diplomats with a rank lower than the first secretaries of foreign embassies. And in this case, the order was awarded not even personally, but through a representative.

By the way, back in the twentieth century, this award was quite openly awarded for service to the pope, but later the wording changed and now representatives of states that have full-scale diplomatic relations with the Vatican have the right to it. Even if they are of a different faith. The awarding of orders took place immediately after the surrender. Armenia Nagorno-Karabakh To Azerbaijan

Pope Francis says transsexuals are at Vatican and calls them 'daughters of God'

In August 2023, during the World Youth Festival in Portugal, the Pope stated that "the Catholic Church is open to everyone, including the gay community" and that "it is obliged to accompany them on the personal path of spirituality, but within its rules." At the same time, Francis announced that transsexuals are in the Vatican and called them "daughters of God."

In honor of World Poor Day, the pontiff took part in a meal attended by poor citizens, as well as transgender people, some of whom did not hide that they were engaged in prostitution. And it was on this category of invitees that the attention of the media present at the event was focused.

As it turned out, these characters have known Francis since the COVID-19 pandemic, when they could not work due to sanitary restrictions and received material assistance from the Holy See. It turns out they have been regularly invited to the Vatican ever since, where "they can always get medicine, money and shampoos." However, they still did not fall into the focus of attention earlier.

After, transgender people began distributing interviews to European media, carrying the news that "now the temple is not closed to them."

2022

Death of retired pope Benedict XVI aged 95

Pope Benedict XVI died, he was 95 years old. He held the Holy See from 2005 to 2013 and became the first sitting pope to retire for health reasons.

Site shutdown due to cyber attacks

At the end of November 2022, it became known that the Vatican is fighting a flood of cyber attacks. Due to hacker attacks, information security specialists had to disable the official website of this city-state in Italy in Rome.

According to the Vatican, a series of attempts to hack the main website of the Catholic Church led users to see a 404 error page when trying to visit the resource. This code means that the requested site may be available in the future, which, however, does not guarantee the presence of the previous content. Experts continue to find out the causes of the incident.

Vatican shut down site over cyber attacks

The site is said to have faced "abnormal login attempts." A number of users did not download the resource at all, while its content was partially available to others. It is suggested that the attack may be related to the statements of Pope Francis about the current geopolitical situation. According to him, there is "cruelty" of the Buryats and Chechens in the conflict zone. These statements caused a negative reaction from a number of states.

It is known that on December 1, 2022, the portal of Vatican museums and the accreditation system for journalists started working normally. It is noted that the Vatican website is quite often subjected to cyber attacks. This resource is a hub where users can read papal addresses as well as join Catholic charities and community outreach programs. In addition, the site has its own news service; there is also a calendar of upcoming events. The state authorities have not yet linked the new wave of hacker attacks with the statements of Pope Francis and the geopolitical situation in general.^[3][4]

Refusal to bless gay unions as' church can't bless sin'

In 2021, the Vatican refused to bless gay unions because "the church cannot bless sin." Yes, and same-sex sex was called "disorder at its core" - however, even then numerous reservations began on the topic that gay people should be treated with dignity and respect.

2020: Code of Ethics for the Use of Artificial Intelligence

In early March 2020, Microsoft and IBM signed an ethical code for the use of AI, published by the Pope. At a special three-day conference, Rome called for the observance of basic ethical principles when using AI.

The Vatican is no longer trying to contain progress and notes that "AI has tremendous potential when it comes to social existence and personal well-being, human empowerment, and providing or facilitating many tasks that can be done more effectively."

Microsoft and IBM sign code of ethics for AI made public by Pope

The published document argues that the new technology "must be investigated and produced according to criteria that ensure that AI truly serves all of humanity, taking into account the merits inherent in each of its members, and taking into account the needs of the most vulnerable of them."

It's time to start preparing for a more technological future where machines play a bigger role in people's lives. But for AI to work for humanity and the planet, we must put the theme of protecting human rights in the digital age at the center of public debate.

The document defined six principles for the ethical use of AI:

• transparency;
• inclusivity;
• duty;
• impartiality;
• reliability;
• safety;
• privacy.

More importantly, the Vatican found companies that would represent these principles, and they became Microsoft and IBM. Microsoft President Brad Smith, who signed the agreement on behalf of the company, noted:

Microsoft is proud to have signed the Rome Call for Compliance with the Ethics of Using AI. We believe this is an important step in a respectful and comprehensive conversation about digital technology and its impact on humanity as a whole.[5]

2018: Use of 3D printed plastic helmets in Swiss Guard

In early May 2018, it became known that the Swiss Guards of the Pope would be changed into plastic helmets printed on a 3D printer.

The Swiss Guard is the calling card of the Vatican. The guards, dressed in armor for more than five centuries, since 1506, have guarded the entrances to the city-state, stand guard at the chambers of the Pope and the Vatican Secretary of State, and also participate in solemn ceremonies.

It is very difficult to stay in steel helmets under the scorching Roman sun for hours, and therefore the Vatican guards decided to retreat from their centuries-old traditions and replace metal hats with their exact plastic copies made on a 3D printer, reports 3DPrint.com.^[6]

In early May 2018, it became known that the Swiss Guards of the Pope would be changed into plastic helmets printed on a 3D printer

Thanks to the modern material - weather-resistant PVC plastic - the new helmets are easy and convenient. Wearing such hats is much more comfortable: they are resistant to ultraviolet light and heat less, plus the helmets have special ventilation ducts for cooling the head.

Another important advantage is lower cost. A 3D printed plastic helmet costs around €880, two less than the traditional metal counterpart. In addition, it takes about 100 hours to make steel armor, while a plastic version of the helmet can be printed in just 14 hours.

However, the new helmets, of course, are inferior to steel helmets in strength, so they are intended to be worn during ceremonial events such as papal masses and state visits.

3D printed plastic helmets on Swiss Guards

Plastic helmets are developed by Swiss engineer Peter Portmann. According to the publication, by May 2018, the first 40 hats for the Guards of the Pope were made for private donations. Another 60 copies are planned to be made with the involvement of public donations.

2015: Pope meets Bolivian President Evo Morales

Bolivian President Evo Morales gives the Pope a sickle and hammer crucifix, Bolivia, July 9, 2015.

1988: Pope's visit to Ferrari factory

1961: Apache Indian Delegation Visit

An Apache Indian kneels and kisses the hand of Pope John XXIII during an audience of an Indian delegation, Vatican City, 1961.

1960

Pope John XXIII blesses his Mercedes-Benz 300 car, 1960.

1942: Pope Pius XII was informed of the extermination of Jews and Poles in Poland. But the Vatican has always refused to condemn the Holocaust

In September 2023, it became known that the Vatican archives found a correspondence between Pope Pius XII, in which it turns out that the pontiff had detailed information about the extermination of Jews and Poles in occupied Poland during World War II, and received it from a trusted German Jesuit.

At the same time, all past years, the Holy See has argued that it cannot condemn the Holocaust, since it does not have the opportunity to verify all available diplomatic reports.

Interestingly, the letter of December 14, 1942 from the Jesuit (who is called a member of the "Catholic anti-Hitler resistance") now interferes with the ranking of Pius XII as blessed and casts a shadow over his entire "heritage."

1937

Vatican Women's Rifle Team. Vatican City. Kingdom of Italy. 1937.

1618

1501: Orgy "Chestnut Banquet"

The orgy "Chestnut Banquet" in the Vatican was organized in 1501 by Cardinal Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander V. This is how the then papal official Johann Burchard described it in his diary:

"Cesare Borgia hosted a banquet in his chambers in the Vatican with fifty courtesans who danced after lunch with the handmaids and others present, first dressed, then naked. After dinner, candelabra with burning candles were removed from the tables and placed on the floor, chestnuts were scattered around, which naked courtesans picked up, crawling on all fours between the candelabra, and Pope Alexander VI, Cesare and his sister Lucretia watched. "

Culture and art

Museums

Vatican Museums

Temples

St. Peter's Cathedral

As of 2022

St. Peter's Cathedral in the Morning, Vatican City, 1971.

Calendar

Какой день считается первым в неделе в countries of the world, 2022

Notes