Jesuit Father Discusses The Importance Of The Creation Of The Vatican City State

Lateran Pact signing ceremonies

On February 11th 1929, the Lateran pacts were signed by Cardinal Pietro Gasparri for the Holy See and by Mussolini for the Italian State. Pacts which take their name from the Lateran Palace premises attached to to the Lateran Basilica , the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the venue for negotiation and final signing of the pacts . In an interview with Veronica Scarisbrick , Professor of History at the University of Virginia in the United States, Jesuit Father Gerald Fogarty focuses on these pacts and specifies the difference between the Treaty and the Concordat signed eighty two years ago: "... the Lateran Treaty guaranteed the creation of Vatican City State, the spiritual sovereignty of the Holy See therefore. The Concordat regulated relationships between the Church and the Italian government within Italy...and then finally there was an agreement, a third pact that was signed in regard to financial remuneration and so forth ... so this definitively ended the Roman Question."

Father Fogarty also highlights the importance of these pacts for the Universal Church : "...the little plot of land was to guard the spiritual sovereignty of the pope and his communication with the Church throughout the world..in order to guaranteee the spiritual autonomy, authority , freedom of communication of the pope there had to be some type of Catholic State guarding that , so therefore they created Vatican City State .."

Finally our historian explains how by becoming an independent state , Vatican City acquired the right to communicate with other states. That's why the day after the signing of the pacts Pius XI entrusted Marconi with the task of setting up the Vatican's radio station, one inaugurated two years later .

Link (here) to Vatican Radio to listen to the interview.