I understand Latin is still the official language of the Vatican. But do they still use Latin in conversation, whether in business settings or in casual usage? If they don’t, what do they use?
Actually Latin is the language often used formally by the Holy See, not Vatican City itself. From the Wiki on Vatican City:
Makes sense, given that they are an enclave of Italy, and a majority of the people working inside the Vatican are actually Italian.
Someone told me that the ATMs in Vatican City has screen displays in Latin. No idea whether there are displays in other languages.
Okay, regarding that ATM thing. . .I’m gonna be in Rome in two weeks, and I’m gonna be staying right by the Vatican. I’ll check the ATMs.
I am really interested to hear what the outcome of this is.
Having been to Rome, and the Vatican (admittedly, it was quite a few years ago), I’d be surprised if there WERE any ATMs inside the Vatican.
Me too! Og bless the Dope.
The closest I’ve got is using one in the Via della Conciliazione, 200 metres or so from the border with the Vatican. That was in February 2007. Its instructions were in Italian, with options for other languages, including English.
This picture is floating around out there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035636906@N01/2360283395
If that isn’t faked, note that it says “Latin is one of the languages for the ATM in the Vatican”, not that it is exclusively in Latin.
There’s a similar picture (from a different angle) on this blogfrom a clergyman who visited the Vatican.
I may stand corrected on this. Looks like there actually may be one ATM in the Vatican. If true, that’s still pretty amazing.
Why? It’s one of the major tourist sites in the country. Tourists will want to have access to cash. (And the Vatican wants them to have cash handy for the collection plates.) So why wouldn’t the Vatican install some ATM’s, and collect the fees that come from them?
Not really. It’s a state, not a cathedral. Nothing wrong with an ATM there.
Now, I doubt there’s an ATM inside St. Peter’s. THAT would be icky.
It’d be time for another scourge of the moneychangers …
I keep whipping this machine, but it refuses to budge…
I agree, considering the whole banishing-moneychangers-from-the-temple thing.
Because when I was there I didn’t notice any commercial activity at all there. It was all religious structures, as far as I can recollect.
Sorry but there is a gift shop just outside the entrance to the Vatican museum as well as a post office where you can buy Vatican stamps or mail a letter. I think both would qualify as commercial activity. Having said that I didn’t see an ATM though I would suspect it would be in this area.
You appear to be correct about ONE location, although there are statements out there that there are 3 ATMs in the Vatican. For instance, from this travel guide, which places one of them near the post office, as you suspected:
http://www.world66.com/europe/vaticancity/practicaladdresses/fr_tim_deeter
I don’t find it particularly surprising either. In addition to the tourist traffic, a lot of secular business goes on within Vatican City, such as the bureaucratic paper pushing that goes with them being a sovereign entity - about 3000 lay workers work there, and reside in Rome. There’s about 900 actual citizens. Somebody working in an office there is going to want the same conveniences as office workers everywhere.
ATM in the Vatican? Surely they wouldn’t be taking money from their followers?
see if you can make a deposit to God’s account with those ATMs!