VATICAN
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VATICAN
printing-office, which, in accordance with the needs
of the missions, soon developed into a Typographia
Polyglotta (cf. Prior, "Die kathol. Kirche unserer
Zeit ", I, 406-07). After enjoying an epoch of inter-
national repute, this institution had in recent years
fallen to a low level owing to the absence of exiiert
management and sufficient funds. Pius X therefore
resolved to unite it with the Vatican Press. This
amalgamation was effected when the Vatican Press,
whose printing machines were to a great extent out-
of-date and whose quarters were inadequate, was
thoroughly reorganized and transferred to new
quarters (1910).
The old riding-school of the Noble Guard, known as the Cavallerizza, lying on the Torrione di Niccolo V, was completely reconstructed in 1909 and fitted for the reception of a great first-class printing-office. The latest and best machines were procured, the lighting splendidly regulated, and the arrange- ment of the offices made in the most practical way. Hither was transferred the Tj-pographia Vaticana with all the valuable tvpe of the Polyglotta of the Propaganda, and given the new name of "Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana". At the same time there was inaugurated an improvement of methods, which guar- anteed substantial savings and greater capacity as compared with former arrangements. The general department of the new printing-offices was established in the high basement and ground-floor; the secret de- partment on the first floor of the new building. The staffs of the two departments are completely sepa- rate, both departments have different entrances, which are closed during working hours. The print- ing-office serves in the first place for the various official purposes of the Curia. Then, according to its capacity, it undertakes printing commissions en- trusted to it by outsiders. Thus, for example, a portion of the monumental work of the Gorresgesell- schaft on the Council of Trent was printed here. The "Acta Apostolica; Sedis", the circulation of which amounts almost to 10,000 copies, the "Gerarchia Cattolica", the new choral editions, and similar works are the best known of the official productions of the Vatican Press.
XVI. The Legal Position op the Vatican. — In the Law of Guarantees of the Itahan State, which came into force on 13 May, 1871, it was explicitly declared that all residences of the pope on Italian soil should enjoy immunity and should be extraterritorial. It follows that the Vatican Palace must be immune and extraterritorial in the eyes of the Itahan author- ities. Consequently, all action of the Itahan author- ities must stop at the gates of the Vatican; the inhabitants of the palace cannot be taxed, subpoenaed, or summoned to defend themselves. All consign- ments directed expressly to the administration of the palace are duty-free, and all letters addressed to the pope from Italy require no stamps. The official tele- grams of the Vatican authorities are sent gratis to aU parts of the world. These and other exceptions from the ordinary laws of Italy are the consequences of the Law of Guarantees, in so far a.'^ they are not expressly mentioned therein. The Radicals and the Free- masons have already frequently demanded the abro- gation of the Law of Guarantees, urging that it is a purely Italian law, and may therefore he abrogated by the same agents as made it. This statement is false. The Vatican is exterritorial, not according to Italian, but according to international law, as is clearly .shown in the negotiations preceding its adop- tion. Both the Lower Chamber and the Senate voted on the law with the clear intention of bringing it to pa.ss through international law that llie Catholics of the whole world should to a certain extent be .set at ease as to the i)Osition of their supreme head. The Italian legislative agents freely ass\imed obligations towards the Powers and all Catholics, as was an
absolute necessity of the politics of the day. These
obhgations can under no circumstances be set aside at
the wishes of one party. The plea that the pope did
not recognize the law is entii-ely beside the question;
his refusal was foreseen by the legislators, and not-
withstanding it, as the premier then declared, Italy
was under an obUgation to pass the law. It thus
follows incontestably that it is not in the power of
the Itahan legislative agents to alter in any way
the present legal position of the Vatican Palace.
The pope is, however, personally indifferent as to
whether the Itahan Government may in the future
perpetrate further injustices in addition to those of
the pa-st. One who has had to endure so much, will
not remain without consolation should another cross
be added to those he already bears.
There is, however, no obstacle to the cultivation of certain relations between the Vatican and Italian authorities, such indeed being rendered indispensable by the social intercourse of the present day. For example, since the pope refuses to exercise de facto the right of punishment theoretically vested in him, malefactors (should any crime be committed) are turned over to the Itahan authorities for the thor- ough investigation of their cases, '\^'arnings on various points are sent from the Italian to the Vatican authorities, so that the latter may be on their guard. Communications of a confidential nature may be exchanged, but in such a manner that neither of the parties enters into any obligation nor prejudices its position; when necessary it is effected through recog- nized channels unofficially. When the pope attends a solemnity in St. Peter's, the basihca is then and then only regarded as belonging to the Vatican; on other occasions it is regarded as a monumento nazionale. By tacit agreement the whole pohcing during these services lies in the hands of the Vatican authorities. But there are also a great number of Italian detectives in civihan dress, who, assisted by the Vatican author- ities, bar objectionable persons from the edifice and quietly remove those who by any means may have obtained entrance. The ambulance stations in St. Peter's, rendered necessarj- by the assemblage of from thirty to forty thousand persons, are estabUshed by the sanitary board of the Vatican.
The above information makes sufficiently clear both the theoretical juristic and the practical position of the relations between the Vatican and the Italian authorities. In the article Guarantees, L.\w of, will be found a more exphcit statement of the rela- tions between the Holy See and the Itahan Govern- ment. Pius IX at the time of the violent occupation in 1870 by the troops of Victor Emmanuel refused to recognize the right of the Italian Government, and his successors, Leo XIII and Pius X, constantly maintained the same attitude. Both pontiffs have, on various occasions, declared themselves as unalter- ably opposed to the recognition of the claim of the Italian Government to temporal sovereignty in Rome.
In addition to works given at the end of certain sections, an abundance of literature on the Vatican Palace will be found in comprehensive works on the histor>' of the popes, such as those by Ranke, Pastob. von Reumont, Gregorovics: treatises on art by Crowe and Cavalcaselle, Vermiglioli, Schmarsow, Vahari; chronicles, by Burkh.ard and iNFEsarRA: Annalts ecclfsiastici of Baronics, RiNALors, and their continuators; BuUarium Romanum and other collections of documents: and Blani. Bihlioffraphie italico-fran^aifse, ou Cataloqtte nffthodique de tons les imprimh en lanffue fran^aise sur V Ilalie ancientie tt mmlfrne (UT^-lSS'i) (2 vols., Paris. 1886-87). Numerous Ktiidcs for travellers and pilgrims contain a Krc.it quantity of more or less reliable information, .\mong the best comprehensive and accurate works may be mentioned: Chattard. A'uom descrizione del Vaticana e delta Saerosanta Basilica di San Pieiro (Rome. 1762-67): Taja, Descri;ione del Palaaa ApoKlolico Vaticana iRomc, 1750>: Pistolesi. // Vaticatio tfejcrittn ed itIuKlratn (8 vols., Rome. 1819-38). with numerous plates and illustrations; Donovan, Rome Ancient and Modern and Its Encirotis (Rome, 1844).
Paul Maria Baumgarten.
