in all fairness the pope has been pretty self deluded about his own global influence since at least the 1800s...
even the vast majority of roman catholics themselves don't heed the vatican...the secular world cares even less what the vatican says...
i strongly doubt that the pope will be allowed to control anything outside of the 0.17 square miles that constitute vatican city in the near future...
I see what you're saying, but the pope is just the figure head. The Jesuits are the ones that protect the Vatican's interests. They're the dark driving force behind it all. Rome came from Babylon and are still here in 2012.
Remember, Rome had political, religious and monetary control over people back in the early centuries. They were government, they had their Roman religion and everyone had to use their Roman money, so one system. Are things heading in that same direction today? (Just a thought)
Re Jerusalem - if he gets his 2nd Vatican State there we can assume it'll be run the same way as in Rome - armed guards, governments (from all over the world) can come and go all the time. Picture that. I don't like the sound of this at all.