Vaticanology is a term coined in the 20th century to describe the field of journalism and research studying and reporting about how the Holy See and the Roman Catholic Church operate.
A journalist or scholar focusing on this area of expertise is sometimes referred to as a Vaticanologist, Vaticanist, or Vatican watcher.
Both the Kremlin and the Holy See operated in a great degree of secrecy and mystery, hence the attention paid to "experts" who were presumed to be able to read subtle nuances indicating who was on the "way up", who was on the "way down" and who were the "ones to watch" within their leadership elites.
Robert Blair Kaiser was a noted contributor in the field, who did much reporting on the Second Vatican Council for TIME.
In 2005, with the first papal election in the age of the continuous news cycle and the internet, many Vaticanologists became prominent through their wide dissemination both on television and in online publications.