VATICAN CITY STATE CELEBRATES 70 YEARS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 10, 1999 (VIS) - Tomorrow marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Vatican City State as a sovereign entity. On that same date in 1929 the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy signed the Lateran Pacts, thus ending the "Roman Question" which concerned the relationship between the pontiffs and Italy.

Ratified on June 7, 1929 the Pacts were a triple agreement encompassing a political treaty, a financial convention and a concordat regulating Church-State relations. Vatican City was established as a juridic-political reality, Catholicism became the official religion of Italy and a financial indemnity was paid to the Vatican for the expropriation of the Papal States in 1870.

The international character of the Holy See, which is distinct from Vatican City State, was also established. It is the Holy See which is recognized in international law and which carries out diplomatic relations.

In March of 1947, the Lateran Pacts became Article 7 of the Italian Constitution. The concordat was revised in 1984.

A booklet published by the Vatican's Governorate explains that "the entire territory of Vatican City State is placed under the protection of the Hague Convention of May 14, 1954 concerning the safeguard of cultural goods in case of armed conflict. The State is thus recognized - and this is so also in international discipline - as a moral, artistic and cultural patrimony worthy of being respected and protected as a treasure belonging to humanity. In 1954 Vatican City State was registered in the World Heritage List."

Since 1929 the anniversary of the treaty has been marked as a holiday in the 44 hectare (108.5 acre) Vatican City State.

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