Legal status of the Holy See of 16 July 2004. Legal status of the Holy See The legal status of the Holy See, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, both in state practice and according to the writing of modern legal scholars, is that of a full subject of public international law, with rights and duties analogous to those of States. Although the Holy See, as distinct from the Vatican City State, does not fulfill the long-established criteria in international law of statehood; i.e. having a permanent population, a defined territory, a stable government and the capacity to enter into relations with other
Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See offices in question. The Vatican Bank, which does not manage property of the Holy See, was not overseen by the Prefecture. This prefecture was also distinct from the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, which was formed from the merger of the Administration of the Property of the Holy See and the Special Administration of the Holy See. Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See was an "office" (a technical category of dicastery) of the Roman Curia, erected on 15 August 1967, and entrusted with overseeing