Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See of the Catholic Church by his authority as head of the Holy See and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Historically, membership in these orders was either conferred by Papal bulls not signed by the Pope or by apostolic letters signed by the Pope himself. Since the reforms of these orders in the beginning of the 20th century, the diplomas have been signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State. In general, "Papal orders of knighthood" refers to the five equestrian orders of the Holy See awarded directly by the Supreme Pontiff as head of the Catholic Church, Holy See and
Holy See–European Union relations City state, which is tied to the mission of the Holy See, has little to do with the objectives of the EU Treaty. Thus EU membership is not discussed, even though it is in the heart of an EU member state. Holy See–European Union relations Holy See–European Union relations is the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the Holy See (or Vatican City). This is framed by the Holy See's geography (within an EU state capital) while being unable to join. According to the EU's Copenhagen criteria which define what states are eligible to join the EU, a candidate