What is difference between the The Holy See (Sancta Sedes, Holy Chair, the seat of Peter the first pope and all future popes) and the Vatican?

Friday, March 5, 2010

FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. Please spread this far and wide.

Dear Advocates for Life,

Here is a great video from the American Life League, a leading member of Reform CCHD NOW www.reformcchdnow.com . It keeps the facts straight on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development's (CCHD) and sadly some in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). USCCB on CCHD: TRYING HARD to IGNORE FACTS Five minutes could save you lots of confusion.

There is a push from those who receive, in many cases ill gotten gains, to petition the USCCB when they meet in June. Please sign the Reform CCHD Now petition if you agree with it.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND.

The USCCB is NOT the Holy See and does NOT have it's authority. 
What is difference between the The Holy See (Sancta Sedes, Holy Chair, the seat of Peter the first pope and all future popes) and the Vatican? (taken from wikipedia in part)

Although it is often referred to by the ambiguous term "the Vatican", the Holy See is not the same as the Vatican City State, which came into existence only in 1929, while the Holy See dates back to early Christian times. Ambassadors are officially accredited not to the Vatican City State but to "the Holy See", and papal representatives to states and international organizations are recognized as representing the Holy See, not the Vatican City State.


The State of the Vatican City aka The Vatican, was created by the Lateran Treaty in 1929 to "ensure the absolute and visible independence of the Holy See" and "to guarantee to it an indisputable sovereignty in international affairs" 

Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Holy See's former Secretary for Relations with States, said that the Vatican City is a "minuscule support-state that guarantees the spiritual freedom of the Pope with the minimum territory". 

Basically, the "government" aka The Holy See of the Catholic Church needed a physical place in the world and The Vatican State was created for this purpose and is the smallest country in the world at 0.2 square miles. (No problem with Church and State)

The Holy See, not the Vatican, maintains diplomatic relations with states and participates in international organizations. When necessary, the Holy See will enter a treaty on behalf of the Vatican City.