| Vatican City State Stato della Città del Vaticano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Government | Theocratic absolute monarchy |
• Pope | Francis |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.49 km² |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 453 |
The Vatican City State is a theocratic city-state surrounded by Italy.
History
After Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy, he made Catholicism the state religion, allowing the Vatican to influence education and avoid taxation. During the Second World War, the Vatican funded fascists, and Giovanni Montini worked with the SS and the CIA before he became pope.[1]
References
- ↑ Hugo Turner (2019-07-28). "Ratline: the Vatican, the Nazis & the CIA" Anti-Imperialist U. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2022-09-11.