VATICAN ET PAPE LEON XIV #sovereignty

The Pope exercises a dual power: spiritual over the universal Church and temporal over Vatican City State. The new Fundamental Law of July 31, 2026, modernizes this structure by opening civil governance to lay people and clarifying the distinction between state administration and the evangelical mission of the Holy See.

The Vatican's new Fundamental Law structures the judicial system around three bodies and introduces the principles of rehabilitation and fairness. However, the Pope retains the right to initiate any criminal or civil proceedings, confirming the continued absolute power at the highest level of the state.