Editing Vatican City (section)

=== Structure ===
{{see also|Pontificate}}
[[File:Papa León XIV cropped.png|thumb|upright|[[Pope Leo XIV]], 2025]]

The government of Vatican City has a unique structure. As governed by the Holy See, the Pope is the sovereign of the state, but he is supported by different bodies. Legislative authority is managed, in the pope's name, by the [[Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State]], a body of cardinals appointed by the pope for five-year periods. Executive power is exercised by the [[President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State|president of that commission]], who is consequently also the president of the governorate, assisted by the general secretary and the deputy general secretary.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 December 2017 |title=Origini e nature |trans-title=Origins and nature |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/it/stato-governo/note-generali/origini-natura.html |access-date=23 May 2024 |publisher=Vatican City Directorate of Telecommunications and Computer Services |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=3 July 2018 |title=Organi dello Stato |trans-title=State bodies |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/it/stato-governo/organi-stato/organi-dello-stato.html |access-date=23 May 2024 |publisher=Vatican City Directorate of Telecommunications and Computer Services |language=it}}</ref> The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the Holy See's [[Secretariat of State (Holy See)|Secretariat of State]] and diplomatic service.

Nevertheless, the pope has absolute power in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches over Vatican City,<ref name="Vatican City">{{Cite web |title=Vatican City |url=https://www.catholic-pages.com/vatican/vatican_city.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504093117/http://www.catholic-pages.com/vatican/vatican_city.asp |archive-date=4 May 2007 |access-date=4 March 2007 |publisher=Catholic-Pages.com}}</ref>
and is thus the only [[Absolute monarchy|absolute monarch]] in Europe.<ref>"[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Learning-with-the-Times-7-nations-still-under-absolute-monarchy/articleshow/3692953.cms Learning with the Times: 7 Nation Still Under Absolute Monarchy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212153657/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/learning-with-the-times-7-nations-still-under-absolute-monarchy/articleshow/3692953.cms |date=12 December 2023 }}", ''The Times of India'', published 10 November 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2020.</ref>

Operationally, there are departments that deal with health, security, telecommunications and other matters.<ref name="Vatican City" />

==== Sede vacante ====
The [[Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church|Cardinal Camerlengo]] presides over the [[Apostolic Camera]], to which is entrusted the administration of the property and protection of other [[temporal power (papal)|papal temporal powers and rights]] of the Holy See during the period of the empty throne or [[sede vacante]] (papal vacancy).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Visceglia |first=Maria Antonietta |title=Royal Courts in Dynastic States and Empires |date=1 January 2011 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004206236 |pages=237–264 |chapter=The Pope's Household And Court In The Early Modern Age |doi=10.1163/ej.9789004206229.i-444.57 |access-date=24 February 2023 |chapter-url=https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004206236/Bej.9789004206229.i-444_012.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224233528/https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004206236/Bej.9789004206229.i-444_012.xml |archive-date=24 February 2023 |url-status=live |doi-access=free}}</ref> Those of the Vatican State remain under the control of the [[Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State]]. Acting with three other cardinals chosen by lot every three days, one from each order of cardinals ([[cardinal bishop]], [[cardinal priest]], and [[cardinal deacon]]), he in a sense performs during that period the functions of head of state of Vatican City.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Universi Dominici Gregis (February 22, 1996) {{!}} John Paul II |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122152903/https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis.html |archive-date=22 November 2019 |access-date=14 December 2022 |website=The Holy See}}</ref> All the decisions these four cardinals take must be approved by the [[College of Cardinals]] as a whole.

==== Papal nobility ====
{{Main|Papal nobility}}

The nobility that was closely associated with the Holy See at the time of the Papal States continued to be associated with the Papal Court after the loss of these territories, generally with merely nominal duties (see [[Master of the Horse#Papal Master of the Horse|Papal Master of the Horse]], [[Prefecture of the Pontifical Household]], [[Hereditary officers of the Roman Curia]], [[Black Nobility]]). They also formed the ceremonial [[Noble Guard]]. In the first decades of the existence of the Vatican City State, [[Executive (government)|executive functions]] were entrusted to some of them, including that of delegate for the State of Vatican City, now denominated president of the Commission for Vatican City. With the [[motu proprio]] ''[[Pontificalis Domus]]'' of March 1968,<ref>{{Citation |title=Pontificalis Domus |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19680328_pontificalis-domus_lt.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112075641/http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19680328_pontificalis-domus_lt.html |archive-date=12 January 2014}}</ref> [[Pope Paul VI]] abolished the honorary positions that had continued to exist until then, such as [[Quartermaster general]] and [[Master of the Horse]].