"At one time the United States maintained diplomatic relations with the Papal States,   
which continued up to the time of the loss of the temporal power of the papacy.   
(Moore's Digest of Int. Law, vol. l, pp.130, 131)
 
 
 
 "The Holy See still occupies a recognized position in international law, of which the   
courts must take Judicial notice.
 
 
 
"The Pope, though deprived of the territorial dominion which he formerly enjoyed,  
 holds, as sovereign pontiff and head of the Roman Catholic Church, an exceptional position.  
 Though, in default of territory, he is not a temporal sovereign, he is in many respects  
 treated as such. He has the right of active and passive legation, and his envoys of the  
 first class, his apostolic nuncios, are specially privileged . .. '" (1 Moore' s Dig. 39)
 
 
 
 
Furthermore, practlcally all countries-send their diplomatic representatives to the Court of   
the Supreme Pontiff and diplomatic representatives of the Holy See are received with the respect  
 and consideration customarily accorded to diplomatic agents.
 
 
 
 A representative of our country residing at the Holy See would do much to bring to the fore the   
fact that in our country we respect to the full the rights of religious freedom, as we do also   
those accompanying precious rights of freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of   
assemblage.'
 
A