Vatican and Santa See: Cardinal Ghirlanda explains the key differences between the two

The Jesuit Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a doctor in Canon Law since 1978, former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and consultant of several Vatican dicasterios, explains the differences that exist between the Holy See and the state of the city of the Vatican.

The 82 -year -old Italian purple recently granted a Interview with the Agency SERof the bishops of Italy, on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Holy See, in which he referred to this and other themes of the Roman curia.

Holy See and Vatican

Ghirland points out that “the Holy See, or Apostolic Headquarters, can designate both the person of the Pope and the Roman curia, according to the context.”

In that sense “it is essential to distinguish the Holy See, understood as the Center for the Government of the Church, of the state of the city of the Vatican, established through Lateran’s pacts on February 11, 1929 to guarantee the Pontiff full freedom in the exercise of its ministry.”

In 1871 “the Italian State promulgated the Law of Guarantees, a unilateral act that sought to regulate relations with the Holy See, but which was rejected by Pius IX because it subordinated the Pope to the Italian authority. Only in 1929, through a bilateral agreement (the lathe or latense agreements), a definitive regulation was achieved.”

It can be said then, shortly, that the Holy See is the central government of the Catholic Church, led by the Pope, and that the Vatican is the state, minimum but sovereign to guarantee the independence of the Pontiff, where the Holy See is located.

Although the Holy See is the Government of the Church and the Vatican is the State, the Cardinal said that “it is the Holy See, not the state of the Vatican, who has international legal subjectivity and maintains diplomatic relations.”

The Mission of the Holy See

When asked about whether it is difficult for the Holy See to exercise its function of government without the typical instruments of a State, the Jesuit cardinal responds: “Without a doubt, it is precisely this condition that enhances the specificity of the mission. The Holy See is called to act in the world, without allowing it to be mundane.”

“This is where discernment comes into play. As San Ignacio teaches, the media must continue to be means. If they become the end, evangelical coherence is lost,” he emphasizes.

The reform of the Roman curia and the Vatican diplomacy

On the concrete challenges facing the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution Predicate the Gospel With which the Pope initiated the reform of the Roman curia, Ghirland said that the text “must be applied gradually, taking into account the necessary corrections and adjustments that will arise from the experience. This is a healthy step in the reform process.”

“The concrete structure of the ecclesial government varies over time, adapting to historical changes, keeping the fundamental principles revealed unaltered,” he added. In that sense, he said, “Preach the Gospel It is located in the perspective of greater decentralization, already desired by the Second Vatican Council. However, its full implementation requires time. ”

On Vatican diplomacy, the Canon Law expert stressed that “it is not oriented to the protection of the interests of power, but to the promotion of the human person.”

“In this sense,” he said, “the Holy See has the task, sometimes uncomfortable, to denounce the violations of fundamental rights wherever they occur. The experience acquired over the centuries is valuable, but must always remain at the service of the Gospel.”