The Holy See is the central governing body of the Catholic Church, led by the Pope as the bishop of Rome
. It is also known as the See of Rome, the Petrine See, or the Apostolic See
. The Holy See is headquartered in Vatican City, an independent city-state enclaved in Rome, of which the Pope is the head of state
. The term "see" comes from the Latin word sedes , meaning 'seat', which refers to the episcopal chair
. The Holy See exercises exclusive dominion over Vatican City
. It is a sovereign entity under international law and recognized by other subjects of international law as a sovereign entity with which diplomatic relations can be maintained
. Diplomats are officially accredited to the Holy See, not Vatican City
. The Holy See's administration is run by the Roman Curia, which consists of departments, congregations, and councils with specific functions and responsibilities relating to church matters
. This structure is similar to a president and prime minister system, where the Pope is the head of state and the cardinal secretary of state is the head of government
. The Holy See was founded in the first century by Saint Peter and Saint Paul
. The cathedral of the Holy See is the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome
. The official languages of the Holy See are Latin and Italian
