Vatican’s Secret Archives turn 400 years old
Within the walls of Vatican City is stored one of the most important treasures in the world, the Vatican’s Secret Archives.
Only a limited number of people can access documents kept here by the Catholic Church. It’s free to gain access, but only academics and historians are allowed and they must request authorization from the Vatican.
The Vatican Secret Archives began under Pope Paul V. It was officially opened 400 years ago on January 31 in 1612. It’s called “secret” from its Latin name “secretum” meaning “private”. Since it opened, it’s become the private archive of the popes.
In 1810, Napoleon Bonaparte took over 3,000 documents to Paris. After his fall from power, the files over time made their way back to the Vatican. Although during these transfers, many valuable documents were lost, some of which were from the fifth century.
Continue reading at www.romereports.com
These are historical documents. They are available to scholars to study. They are there for safekeeping. They are not Catholic, they are world history.
-SamaIndeed this is a most precious collection of documents on world history, and not catholic history alone. I am a protestant historian, yet I had full access to the Secret Archives of the Vatican and found precious information on all aspects of the period I was studying (religious, political and economic). The Catholic Church had the most comprensive information service in the world. One must tremember that the Pope was the sovereing of "Rome", until 1870, when the Italian republicans confined him to the Vatican. As a king he had fighting armies and a secret service at his disposal. It was the most capable secret service in the world, comprised of all priests in Christendom, who reported religious and political events to their bishops, who passed them up all the way to Rom, through their chain of command. It was an extraordinary thing, far surpassing whatever information the diplomatic services of other countries could ever supply their governments.
-MochileiroThe Vatican also has the largest cache of historical relics, art, and artifacts. Jerusalem believes they have the original Menorah, depicted on the Arch of Titus as he brought it in as war booty. They've written several times. There's not an intense push for it because they also believe God will bring it all together, the Temple, the Ark, Menorah, everything. They have everything else, including standby Cohenim, from Levitical descendance, Red Heffer, etc.
Yet, if we see the negotiation for the rebuilding of the Temple, either we missed the Rapture, or Post-Trib have it.
-MexseikoWould the Roman Catholic Church permit copies of these documents to be made available to those interested over the internet
-aceitunaWrite to their web site, they might do just that. There might be one problem–being able to read Greek or Latin.
-Michael G.