Does the Vatican have a secret service?

For five centuries, the Vatican—the oldest organization in the world, maker of kings and shaper of history—has used a secret spy service, called the Holy Alliance, or later, the Entity, to carry out its will. Forty popes have relied on it to carry out their policies.

What are the hidden secrets of the Vatican?

Does the Vatican have secret police?

The Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State (Italian: Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the gendarmerie, or police and security force, of Vatican City and the extraterritorial properties of the Holy See.

Does the Vatican have a secret vault?

The Vatican Secret Archives includes state papers, correspondence, account books, and many other documents that the church has accrued over the centuries. Under the orders of Pope Paul V, the Secret Archive was separated from the Vatican Library in the 17^th century.

What's under the Vatican?

The Vatican Necropolis lies under the Vatican City, at depths varying between 5–12 metres below Saint Peter's Basilica. The Vatican sponsored archaeological excavations (also known by their Italian name scavi) under Saint Peter's in the years 1940–1949 which revealed parts of a necropolis dating to Imperial times.

15 Secrets The Vatican Doesn't Want You To Know!

Who owns the Vatican?

The Holy See is the organization that owns the Vatican, i.e. the smallest independent city-state in the world. They print their own passports, have their own media, and even maintain their own mail service, all for a population numbering no more than 1,000 people.

Is murder legal in the Vatican?

Thankfully, most of the crimes within the Vatican are petty crimes, like pick-pocketing, that target tourists and are committed by outsiders. There's only been one murder case in Vatican history — a 1999 case in which a Swiss guardsman shot and killed his commander and his commander's wife before killing himself.

Does the Vatican have a military?

The Vatican City State has never had independent armed forces, but it has always had a de facto military provided by the armed forces of the Holy See: the Pontifical Swiss Guard, the Noble Guard, the Palatine Guard, and the Papal Gendarmerie Corps.

Who protects Vatican City?

The Swiss Guard of the Vatican is the only Swiss Guard that is still active today. The unit was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506. Many guards died protecting a later pope during the looting of Rome of 1527 (commemorating the anniversary of this 'martyrdom' has since become a tradition).

Who is security of the Pope?

Swiss Guards, Italian Guardia Svizzera, corps of Swiss soldiers responsible for the safety of the pope. Often called “the world's smallest army,” they serve as personal escorts to the pontiff and as watchmen for Vatican City and the pontifical villa of Castel Gandolfo.

What is the pope's net worth?

The estimated net worth of Pope Francis is $2.5 million.

Among being a religious center for a large percentage of the population, the Vatican is also one of the richest entities on the planet.

Why do Swiss Guards protect the Vatican?

Pope Julius II had admired the Swiss soldiers, who defended the king of France, and he requested a contingent of 200 to serve as his personal bodyguards and to defend his palaces.

Why is nobody born in Vatican City?

No one is born in the Vatican State

As there are no hospitals in the Vatican State, virtually no one is born in there. Instead, Vatican citizenship is provided on a 'jus officii' basis. This means someone is made a citizen of the Vatican when they are appointed to work in the Holy See.

Does the Vatican have secret rooms?

The 3 Vatican Secret Rooms you can see are: The Bramante Staircase. The Room of the Masks (also known as the Cabinet of the Masks) The Niccoline Chapel (also known as the Chapel of Nicholas V)

What books did the Vatican remove from the Bible?

Does the Vatican have a jail?

The Vatican has no prison system, apart from a few cells for pre-trial detention. People sentenced to imprisonment by the Vatican serve time in Italian prisons, with costs covered by the Vatican.

How many bodyguards does the Pope have?

This colorful combat is made up of just 135 guards, making it the world's smallest army. These guards are tasked with protecting the Pope and the Apostolic Palace.

Does the Vatican have fighter jets?

Vatican City has no armed forces. It does, however, have within its territory the Pontifical Swiss Guard or Swiss Guard. The Swiss Guard is a small force maintained by the Holy See and is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace.

How much do Swiss Guards get paid?

A recruit can expect to earn just over SFr1,500 ($942) a month - a seemingly paltry sum. However, Segmüller said the salary has to be seen alongside the other benefits of the job. "The guards pay no taxes or health insurance," he said.

Which pope was murdered in the Vatican?

Near the start of his weekly general audience in Rome's St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II is shot and seriously wounded while passing through the square in an open car.

What happens if the Pope is murdered?

The death of a pope puts into motion a formal, age-old process that includes certifying his death, arranging for the body to lie in state, organizing a funeral and preparing for the election of a successor. The pope's chief of staff, or camerlengo, is in charge of all arrangements.

Why is the Vatican so rich?

Vatican City generates revenue through museum admissions and the sale of coins, stamps, and publications. The Vatican Bank has been at the center of numerous financial scandals, which has prompted Pope Francis to institute reforms that provide financial accountability and transparency.