Popes in their
secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for
more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the
Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870,
the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was
annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were
resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the
independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special
status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy
modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the
primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present
concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom,
international development, the Middle East, terrorism, the failing
health of Pope John Paul II, interreligious dialogue and
reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of
rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide
profess the Catholic faith. (CIA Factbook)
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