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In common usage "the Vatican" refers to the pope and the central administration of the Catholic Church, the Roman curia, which assists him in leading a community of nearly one billion believers, including members of some twentyone Eastern Catholic churches and of the more numerous Western churches, or the Roman Catholic Church. In international relations, the proper term for the church as a sovereign entity is "the Holy See." It is the world's oldest diplomatic entity, predating the founding of modern nationstates, with formal diplomatic representation to most countries.