# Vatican Embassy **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 16, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062 "2012-02-16T20:42:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Galty\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7c8e57/32.png) [@Galty\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galty_Boy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/1 "2012-02-16T20:42:36Z")
Ireland closed its Embassy in the vatican, what purpose is it to have an embassy to the vatican at all? Is it control that the vatican wants? or power?. Though why anyone would want to have diplomatic links with a Little state that was the first to sign an Agreement with Hitler in 1933 and in doing so showed support for Hitler’s socialist party, and by signing an agreement with Hitler could not condemn his actions. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/2 "2012-02-16T20:46:50Z")
[Apparently the U.S. has an embassy with the Holy See:](http://vatican.usembassy.gov/embassy-info.html) Here’s its use: > [@](#): > > Formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See were established in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. The mission works in partnership with the Holy See on global issues including HIV/AIDS, world hunger, religious freedom and human rights. As a global entity, the Holy See is influential on many issues and has far-reaching influence in even the most remote corners of the world. Now, think about the Catholic influence on the population in Africa and the HIV/AIDS crisis there and that might open a window on why the U.S. would want to work with the Pope on such issues. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/3 "2012-02-16T21:01:57Z")
This certainly isn’t appropriate for General Questions. While it could potentially go in Great Debates, I think the second sentence predisposes it for the Pit, so I’m sending it there. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/4 "2012-02-16T21:03:57Z")
> [@Galty\_Boy](#): > > Ireland closed its Embassy in the vatican, what purpose is it to have an embassy to the vatican at all? Is it control that the vatican wants? or power?. > Though why anyone would want to have diplomatic links with a Little state that was the first to sign an Agreement with Hitler in 1933 and in doing so showed support for Hitler’s socialist party, and by signing an agreement with Hitler could not condemn his actions. Err.. Ireland has an embassy to Germany as well, and Germany actually elected the Nazi’s. Having an embassy with another country isn’t some sort of endorsement of every thing that country has done over the last century. Its to facilitate diplomatic relations. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/5 "2012-02-16T21:16:26Z")
> **[Vatican City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City)** > > in Europe (dark grey) Vatican City (/ˈvætɪkən/ (listen)), officially Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano;\[f\] Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae),\[g\]\[h\] is a landlocked independent country, city-state, microstate, and enclave within Rome, Italy. It became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a distinct territory under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity und... Vatican City is a sovereign nation - although a unique, tiny and theocratic one - and given its influence among the world’s millions of Catholics, it’s no surprise that other countries might want to have diplomatic relations with it. The best and most prominent way to do that is to have an embassy. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/6 "2012-02-16T21:16:46Z")
“Hitler’s socialist party”? Really? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/7 "2012-02-16T21:35:12Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Err.. Ireland has an embassy to Germany as well, and Germany actually elected the Nazi’s. Germany elected the Nazi’s what? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/8 "2012-02-16T21:44:36Z")
> [@Galty\_Boy](#): > > Ireland closed its Embassy in the vatican, what purpose is it to have an embassy to the vatican at all? Is it control that the vatican wants? or power?. > Though why anyone would want to have diplomatic links with a Little state that was the first to sign an Agreement with Hitler in 1933 and in doing so showed support for Hitler’s socialist party, and by signing an agreement with Hitler could not condemn his actions. Countries have embassies in Germany. I think that country may have been even more vociferous in its support for Hitler at the time. Why are you picking on the Vatican, and not Germany? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/9 "2012-02-16T21:53:55Z")
I’m surprised. OP joined way back in January. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/10 "2012-02-16T22:37:29Z")
Godwin’d in 0. Impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/11 "2012-02-17T02:01:05Z")
Lot of countries signed treaties with Nazi Germany. I think the concordat was a mistake by the Vatican, but it was a pretty tempting mistake to make at the time, and were I in their position, I probably would have signed it too. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/12 "2012-02-17T02:03:17Z")
Who is Galty Boy? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/13 "2012-02-17T02:21:12Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Who is Galty Boy? Dunno, but he’s in the john. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/14 "2012-02-17T02:54:00Z")
Well, I’m sure he’ll give us an Objective answer to the question he posed… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/15 "2012-02-17T04:28:01Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Lot of countries signed treaties with Nazi Germany. I think the concordat was a mistake by the Vatican, but it was a pretty tempting mistake to make at the time, and were I in their position, I probably would have signed it too. But concordats are signed constantly; in Spain we don’t even talk about “signing a concordat”, we talk about “renewing the concordat”. They need to be renewed because they come with time limits, but their renewal doesn’t mean the RCC thinks the guy signing for the other party is the nicest fellow ever (I get the distinct feeling that there’s a few Spanish-side signataries that the corresponding Nuncio would have been terribly, terribly sorry to see devoured by piranah - sorry for the poisoned piranah, that is). I’d be very surprised if there hadn’t been a concordat with Germany prior to 1933; if it was up for renewal, it needed to get signed or the Nunciature removed. Removing your embassy is a very strong step; if countries removed theirs any time a country elects a president/chancellor/prime minister/Pope their own rulers dislike… the image that comes to mind resembles a ska concert more than the sedate gavotte that normal diplomatic relations are supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/16 "2012-02-17T05:39:18Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’d be very surprised if there hadn’t been a concordat with Germany prior to 1933; if it was up for renewal, it needed to get signed or the Nunciature removed. > . I don’t think there had been, actually. The Kulturkampf had basically meant that Imperial Germany wasn’t interested in good relationships with the Holy See. After the war there was talk about signing a concordat by the Weimar government, but that fell through (although the Holy See had signed concordats with both the provincial governments of Bavaria and Prussia, and the Papal Nuncio to Prussia was de facto nuncio to Germany, but the 1933 one was the first official concordat. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/17 "2012-02-17T11:18:16Z")
Galtee mountain boy needs to chillax. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/18 "2012-02-17T12:04:19Z")
The Vatican has an embassy in DC at Massachusetts Ave across from the Naval Observatory (Vice President’s House). It is very busy. Notably it has a [perpetual pedophile victim / protester in front of it.](http://www.vaticanhidespedophiles.com/default.html) He’s there every day I drive by. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/19 "2012-02-17T13:48:52Z")
They should send Swiss Guards to all their embassies, like we send Marines. “lets’ go to the Vatican Embassy and look at the guy in the funny uniform.” ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062/20 "2012-02-17T15:08:25Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > They should send Swiss Guards to all their embassies, like we send Marines. > > “lets’ go to the Vatican Embassy and look at the guy in the funny uniform.” There are very few jobs were you can wear a funny hat, carry a halberd, and defend pedos. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vatican-embassy/613062.md?page=2)