A religious office can carry the power to review a bill, the authority to govern a territory or a seat in a legislative chamber. Those arrangements have different effects even when each gives religion a formal place in public institutions. The constitutions and parliamentary rules of Iran, Vatican City and the United Kingdom offer three concrete examples.
Iran and the review of legislation
Article 4 of Iran’s constitution requires laws and regulations to conform to Islamic criteria. Articles 91–96 specify how that requirement applies to legislation passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly. The Guardian Council has twelve members. The Leader chooses six Islamic legal scholars, and the Assembly selects six other jurists from candidates nominated by the head of the judiciary. The six Islamic legal scholars decide compatibility with Islamic criteria by majority vote. Constitutional compatibility is decided by a majority of the full Council. When the Council finds a measure incompatible, it returns the text to the Assembly for reconsideration. Religious authority in this example operates through a formal stage of the legislative process. Iranian Constitution, Articles 4 and 91–96
Vatican City and the authority of the pope
The 2023 Fundamental Law vests legislative, executive and judicial authority in the pope as sovereign of Vatican City State. The law gives the Pontifical Commission responsibility for exercising the legislative function in cases the pope has not reserved to himself. The commission includes cardinals and other members appointed by the pope. It approves legislation, which goes to the pope for consideration before promulgation. The same law distinguishes the state and its legal order from the Roman Curia and other institutions of the Holy See. The purpose of the territorial state is to secure the independence of the Holy See. Its arrangement therefore tells us about the government of Vatican City as well as the particular role of its sovereign. 2023 Fundamental Law of Vatican City State
England’s established church and the UK Parliament
The Church of England’s position as the established church in England gives some of its bishops a role in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The House of Lords has up to 26 places for Church of England archbishops and bishops, collectively called the Lords Spiritual. They may speak, scrutinize bills and vote as members of that chamber. The right attaches to the office and ends when the holder leaves it. Scotland has its own established church, and its moderator has no equivalent seat by right. Even within one state, establishment can take different institutional forms. House of Commons Library on church and state · House of Lords Library on the Lords Spiritual
Conclusion
The clearest comparison follows a bill. In Iran a bill passed by the Assembly goes to the Guardian Council for review. In Vatican City the Pontifical Commission legislates within the authority set out in the pope’s Fundamental Law. In the UK bishops may participate in parliamentary scrutiny and votes as members of the Lords. The cases show why readers should ask who holds a particular power, when it applies and what effect it has. Questions about religious practice and freedom call for further evidence about how those arrangements affect people. How state religion shapes religious practice
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