Editing Vatican City (section)

=== State and Holy See ===
The Vatican City State, created in 1929 by the [[Lateran Pacts]], provides the Holy See with a temporal jurisdiction and independence within a small territory. It is distinct from the Holy See. The state can thus be deemed a significant but not essential instrument of the Holy See. The Holy See itself has existed continuously as a juridical entity since Roman Imperial times and has been internationally recognized as a powerful and independent sovereign entity since [[Late Antiquity]] to the present, without interruption even at times when it was deprived of territory (e.g. 1870 to 1929).

Vatican City is one of the few widely recognized independent states that has not become a member of the [[United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Section |first=United Nations News Service |date=7 February 2017 |title=UN News – FEATURE: Diplomacy of the conscience – The Holy See at the United Nations |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56121#.WnNenpM-dsM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202202155/http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56121#.WnNenpM-dsM |archive-date=2 February 2018 |access-date=1 February 2018 |website=UN News Service Section |language=en}}</ref> The Holy See, which is distinct from Vatican City State, has [[United Nations General Assembly observers|permanent observer status]], with all the rights of a full member except for a vote in the [[UN General Assembly]].