The Papal Archives open to the world vaticannews.va

It is due to Pope Francis that the Vatican Archives are no longer ‘secret’ but ‘apostolic.’ Substantially nothing about its identity has been lost or changed. In fact, it remains one of the oldest institutions whose mission is clear: to conserve Papal and Curial documents and make them available to those who request them. “The Holy See’s central Archives,” as John Paul II defined it, contains an extension of documentation equaling 85 linear km, making it one of the largest in the world. It is the guardian of thousands of years of history and is not afraid to be open to the public. Proof of this is the possibility to consult documents relating to the pontificate of Pius XII, the Pope who lived the difficult period of Nazism and fascism. The Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archives, Bishop Sergio Pagano, says those who use the Archives are not only experts in religious or secular history, but also carry out research that “encompasses every aspect of human society.” …

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