A composite picture of the status of the Papacy in international law as described by the text-book writers down to 1929 has notably clear outlines. From the 8th century until 1870, the Pope, in addition to his spiritual authority as supreme head of the Roman Catholic Church, had, except for brief intervals, the rights of temporal sovereignty as head of a state. In that year Rome was occupied on September 20 by an Italian army, the occupation was ratified by popular vote, and the city made the capital of the Kingdom of Italy by the Italian Parliament on October 2; on October 9 it was annexed by royal decree, which was confirmed by law of December 31; in consequenceof which the Papal States disappeared and the temporal power of the Popewas ended. On May 13, 1871, the Italian Parliament enacted the Law of Guarantees which regulated the status of the Pope, so far as Italy was concerned, and purported to extend to him all necessary safeguards for the freeexercise throughout the world of his spiritual authority. This law securedto him personal inviolability and exemption from criminal liability, thoughhe remained subject to the civil courts of Italy, and it bestowed or recognized his enjoyment of certain rights and privileges belonging in other cases to temporal sovereigns, such as maintaining an armed force, freedom of correspondence and sending and receiving representatives to and from states beyond Italy. As a municipal statute, the Law of Guarantees could conferno international status upon the Pope, and although it might have been made the basis of treaty agreement between Italy and any Catholic or other Power, it was, so far as known, never so treated, and therefore remained legallyalways capable of change by Italy alone. The Popes never formally acceptedthe provisions of this law nor the endowment granted by it, and in protest against the events of 1870 they objected to any Catholic sovereignvisiting the King of Italy, and remained after their election perpetually with in the Vatican without emerging on to other Italian soil. The Poperetained the right to make with sovereign states concordats concerningecclesiastical affairs, as before his loss of temporal power; and continued toexercise the rights of active and passive legation as assured by the Law of Guarantees. The Papal household subsisted on food and water whose deprivation would have threatened life itself had Italy joined for a month inthe policy of non-intercourse adopted for the Pope personally. The statusof the Pope in international law was abnormal and unique.