The narrative discusses the unique history and governance of Vatican City, the world's smallest country and the home of the Catholic Church. The narrator explains that the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome, has absolute power within the city's borders. The Pope is also the CEO of the Holy See, a corporate entity recognized in international law. The Pope's dual role as religious leader and monarch makes Vatican City the world's only elected non-hereditary absolute monarchy.
The narrator also highlights the unusual citizenship rules of Vatican City. Unlike most countries, Vatican City does not have a permanent population. Citizenship is granted by the King of Vatican City, who is also the Pope, to those who work for the Holy See. The citizens of Vatican City are primarily cardinals, diplomats, the Pope's bodyguards, or other Catholic-related jobs.
The narrator concludes that the world's attention is not focused on Vatican City due to its citizens but because of the billion members of the Catholic Church outside the city's walls.
1. Vatican City is the capital of the Catholic Church and home to the Pope.
2. The Pope owns impressive collections of art and history within the world's smallest country.
3. Vatican City is conveniently circumnavigatable on foot in only 40 minutes.
4. The Pope used to rule a country called the Papal States, which covered much of modern-day Italy.
5. The Popes constructed Saint Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world, during their reign.
6. The Kingdom of Italy next door thought Rome would make an awesome capital for their country and so conquered the Papal States.
7. The Pope hid behind the walls of Vatican and refused to acknowledge that the Kingdom of Italy existed.
8. Benito Mussolini, the then Prime Minister of Italy, struck a deal with the Pope, which led to the birth of Vatican City.
9. Vatican City has its own government that makes its own laws, enforced by its own police.
10. Vatican City has its own bank, prints its own stamps, and issues its own license plates.
11. Vatican City is the world's only elected non-hereditary absolute monarchy.
12. The Pope and the King of Vatican City are the same person at the same time.
13. Vatican City does not have a real permanent population to speak of, with about 500 full citizens.
14. These citizens work for the Holy See as either cardinals or diplomats or the Pope's bodyguards or other Catholic-related jobs.
15. Vatican City is best thought of as a kind of sovereign corporate headquarters that grants temporary citizenship to its managers.
16. The reason the world cares about Vatican City is not because of the citizens within its walls but because of the billion members of its church outside of those walls.