http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2 ... cted_x.htm
What's your opinion?
Vatican foreign immunity
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lifeisboring
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Vatican foreign immunity
Post #1Did God create humans, or did humans create God? 
God gives us the freedom of choosing what religion to believe in, and then sends prophets to convince us to believe in him. Strange, no?
God gives us the freedom of choosing what religion to believe in, and then sends prophets to convince us to believe in him. Strange, no?
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McCulloch
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Post #2
The Vatican is not a state in any real sense of the word. It has virtually no territory. It has no currency. It has no industry. It has no natural resources. It has zero natural population growth. I do not understand why the modern world continues the fiction that this organization is a state and not the headquarters of one religious sect.
Post #3
Does this mean that all Catholic priests and nuns are foriegn workers living in the U.S.? Do they need to apply for H-1B visas? Do they need passports and green cards?
As I understand it, the Vatican is an actual foreign entity whose religious identity is inextricably linked with its administrative functioning, much like Saudi Arabia's Wahabism. As I understand it, the Holy See maintains a dual role as government administrator and head of the religion. If this is true, then it would be possible to sue the Vatican as a church without suing it as a government.
As I understand it, the Vatican is an actual foreign entity whose religious identity is inextricably linked with its administrative functioning, much like Saudi Arabia's Wahabism. As I understand it, the Holy See maintains a dual role as government administrator and head of the religion. If this is true, then it would be possible to sue the Vatican as a church without suing it as a government.
Re: Vatican foreign immunity
Post #4If these people honestly think that the "Holy See" is a foriegn agency that is operating within the US borders and commiting such acts against children, then why haven't they declared the Church a terrorist organization and made plans to invade the Vatican?
Fracking hypocrites...
Gilt and Vetinari shared a look. It said: While I loathe you and all of your personal philosophy to a depth unplummable by any line, I will credit you at least with not being Crispin Horsefry [The big loud idiot in the room].
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Dilettante
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Post #5
I don't see how territory is important here. Andorra, San Marino, Lichtenstein and Monaco have virtually no territory, and yet they are considered states. As for currency, the Vatican uses the euro, like much of Europe. Why should industry, natural resources, or population growth be a requirement? States are formed when two or more societies need to establish borders because they cannot be subsumed into a third, larger, entity. The Vatican is a state by virtue of the Lateran Treaty between Fascist Italy and the Roman Catholic Church.McCulloch wrote:The Vatican is not a state in any real sense of the word. It has virtually no territory. It has no currency. It has no industry. It has no natural resources. It has zero natural population growth. I do not understand why the modern world continues the fiction that this organization is a state and not the headquarters of one religious sect.
There is such a thing as Vatican citizenship, and it's not the same as Catholic religious affiliation. There are only about 500 people with Vatican passports, only about 40 of them are laypersons. If those accused of sexual abuse do not hold Vatican citizenship, I don't see how the Vatican as a state can be sued. They could try suing the Roman Catholic Church, though.
