97% Catholic and one of smallest states in the world

They also discussed the ongoing international crises, particularly the war in Ukraine, and emphasized the importance of multilateralism and “interreligious dialogue in promoting peace.”

This country, which is 97% Catholic, has a population of about 34,000 and an area of 23.6 square miles, making it the fifth smallest independent state in the world.

During Italian unification, this small territory was not incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy because Garibaldi had taken refuge there during the war against the Austrians. Its neutrality has always been respected throughout successive wars.

The two captains regent of San Marino took office on October 1, 2025, and will leave office on April 1, following the rotation system implemented in this small republic, which has been considered independent since the year 301.

Lorenzo Bugli, born on February 20, 1995, is currently the youngest head of state in the world. He has been active in politics since the age of 18, when he was elected municipal councilor. The other captain regent, Matteo Rossi, is a former soccer player born in 1986.

The Republic of San Marino is one of only two states in the world governed by a system of diarchy. The other is the Principality of Andorra, whose “co-princes” are the Bishop of Urgell in Spain and the President of the French Republic.

This small territory has long been considered a lever for Russian influence in Europe, due to the presence of Russian capital in its banks. A sign of this influence: during the COVID-19 pandemic, San Marino was one of the few European territories where health services used the Russian Sputnik vaccine.

However, since 2022, due to the war in Ukraine, San Marino has aligned itself with the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russian assets. This has led Moscow to classify this small country as a “hostile” state.

In ecclesiastical terms, the territory of San Marino is incorporated into the Italian diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, which covers several municipalities in the Marche and Emilia-Romagna regions. It is therefore a cross-border diocese.

This country has been visited by two popes: John Paul II in 1982 and Benedict XVI in 2011. These two trips are considered “apostolic journeys” in their own right, as the pontiffs formally left Italian territory.

We should note that at the Vatican, Father Ciro Benedettini, a Passionist religious of San Marino nationality, was deputy director of the Holy See Press Office from 1995 to 2016.