Vatican Secret Archives

The Vatican Secret Archives (Latin: Archivum Secretum Vaticanum), located in Vatican City, is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having primal incumbency until death, owns the archives until the next appointed Papal successor. The archives also contain the state papers, correspondence, papal account books,[1] and many other documents which the church has accumulated over the centuries. In the 17th century, under the orders of Pope Paul V, the Secret Archives were separated from the Vatican Library, where scholars had some very limited access to them, and remained absolutely closed to outsiders until 1881, when Pope Leo XIII opened them to researchers, of whom now more than a thousand examine its documents each year.[2]

The use of the word "secret" in the title "Vatican Secret Archives" does not denote the modern meaning of confidentiality. Instead, it indicates that the archives are the Pope's personal property, not belonging to those of any particular department of the Roman Curia or the Holy See. The word "secret" was generally used in this sense as also reflected in phrases such as "secret servants", "secret cupbearer", "secret carver", much like an esteemed position of honor and regard comparable to a VIP.[3]

Contents

Extent

The Vatican Secret Archives have been estimated to contain 52 miles (84 km) of shelving,[4] and there are 35,000 volumes in the selective catalogue alone. "Indexes must be consulted in the Index Room and replaced in their original location. Publication of the indexes, in part or as a whole, is forbidden."[5] The Archives support their own photographic and conservation studios.

According to the website of the Archives, the oldest surviving document dates back to the end of the eighth century. "Transfers and political upheavals nearly caused the total loss of all the archival material preceding Innocent III."[6] From 1198 onwards, more complete archives exist, though documentation is a little scanty before the 13th century. Since that time, the documentation includes items such as Henry VIII of England's request for a marriage annulment,[7] and letters from Michelangelo.

Access

The entrance to the Archives, adjacent to the Vatican Library, is approached through the Porta di S. Anna in via di Porta Angelica (rione of Borgo). New underground storage space was added in 1980.[8]

There is no generic browsing, and researchers must ask for the precise document they wish to see, identifying it either by consulting the indices and must be granted an expressed written permission authorized by a ranking prelate for perusement. Even then, not many requests are granted entrance as the application process is long and rigorous.

The current Archivist is Cardinal Raffaele Farina. Cardinals Jorge María Mejía and Luigi Poggi are "Archivisti Emeriti" (former Archivists).

Opening of the archives

Customarily, documents are made available to the public after a period of 75 years.

2012 Exhibition

On occasion of the exhibition "Lux in arcana – The Vatican Secret Archives reveals itself" (to be held at the Capitoline Museums in Rome from February to September 2012), 100 original documents dating from the 8th to the 20th century will leave the Vatican City for the first time in history [11].

Archivists of the Holy Roman Church

Prefects of the Vatican Secret Archives

Other Holy See archives

There are other Holy See archives in Rome, since each department of the Roman Curia has its own archives. The word "secret" in its modern sense can be applied to some of the material kept by the Apostolic Penitentiary, when it concerns matters of the internal forum; but registers of the rescripts that it issued up to 1564 have been deposited in the Vatican Secret Archives and are open for consultation by qualified scholars. Half of these have already been put in digital form for easier consultation. The confidentiality of the material means that, in spite of the centuries that have passed since 1564, special rules apply to its publication.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ See Pastor, History of the Popes, vol. III, 31.
  2. ^ Table of Admittances to the Vatican Secret Archives in the Last Years (Archived May 6, 2011 at the Wayback Machine)
  3. ^ The Title "Vatican Secret Archives"
  4. ^ Secret Archives Accessible Online, Zenit News Agency
  5. ^ Rules for Scholars
  6. ^ The Vatican Secret Archives: The Past, Vatican website
  7. ^ The Letter That Changed the Course of History
  8. ^ Storeroom of the new premises
  9. ^ Vatican Archivists Rush to Declassify WWII Documents, Catholic World News, February 20, 2002
  10. ^ Extract from the Bulletin of the Press Office of the Holy See, 30 June 2006
  11. ^ Lux in arcana exhibition website
  12. ^ The Archive of the Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary

Further reading

Ambrosini, Maria Luisa. The Secret Archives of the Vatican. Boston: Little, Brown, 1969 (republished 1996). ISBN 0-7607-0125-3
Blouin, Francis X. et al. (1998). Vatican Archives: An Inventory and Guide to Historical Documentation of the Holy See. New York, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509552-9. 
Pastor, Ludwig von. The history of the popes, from the close of the Middle Ages: (drawn from the secret archives of the Vatican and other original sources). from WorldCat. Reprints: Periodicals Service Company (New York) and Schmidt Periodicals GmbH (Germany)
Borromeo, Agostino. L'inquisizione : atti del Simposio internazionale, Città del Vaticano ( The inquisition: actions of the international Symposium, Vatican City), Biblioteca apostolica vaticana, 2003. ISBN 88-210-0761-8

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