# If I were going to send a letter to the Pope . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733 "2002-05-31T14:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![welby1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@welby1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/1 "2002-05-31T14:43:25Z")
. . how would it be addressed? Listening to a few people argue about it, I figured what better place than here to ask the question. The basic argument appears to center on whether there is a Vatican in Vatican City or if the Vatican is also Vatican City. The original question posed was : “Where is the Vatican located?” The answer, “In Vatican City.” One side of the argument says it’s located in Rome, and that the Vatican and Vatican City are one and the same. The other side says that the Vatican itself is in Vatican City, which is located within Rome. Who’s right? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/2 "2002-05-31T15:25:01Z")
His Holiness, John Paul II PP. 00120 Via del Pellegrino Citta del Vaticano, Italy But I really doubt that second line is required. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/3 "2002-05-31T15:27:52Z")
The official name of the state is “State of the City of Vatican” (_Stato della Città del Vaticano_ in Italian); the country abbreviation on cars is SCV, but the post stamps sold in the Vatican’s post offices clearly say “Città del Vaticano”, so my guess would be “City of Vatican” is alright becase Vatican and Vatican City are the same. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/4 "2002-05-31T15:30:10Z")
From the official Vatican City website ([http://www.vatican.va/phome\_en.htm](http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm)) the address for the Press Office (the only thing I could find with an address) is given as: Via della Conciliazione 54 SCV-00120 CITTÀ DEL VATICANO ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/5 "2002-05-31T15:49:13Z")
By the way, don’t forget to use his [official title](http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Faith/may-june99/Code.html), unless you want to appear impolite: Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of Vatican City State [sub]_fixed link - **DrMatrix** _[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/6 "2002-05-31T16:59:48Z")
Primate being, in this case, “A bishop of highest rank in a province or country” (according to the dictionary). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-going-to-send-a-letter-to-the-pope/111733/7 "2002-05-31T17:32:01Z")
:d Sorry for the mess with the link, btw.