Hole in the Dyke?

 

Dan Brown take note:

Vatican's 'Secret Archives' unveiled

The Vatican Secret Archives is for the first time printing reproductions of more than 100 of its most fascinating, secret documents. Do we hear another Dan Brown novel coming?

By Nick Squires, Correspondent
Christian Science Monitor

"Rome

The name alone is enough to excite curiosity. For centuries, the Vatican Secret Archives have been regarded as perhaps the most enigmatic and inaccessible collection of documents in the world.

They contain more than 50 miles of shelves of correspondence between successive popes and some of history’s biggest names, from Henry VIII to Hitler, Michelangelo to Mozart.

Now, though, the Vatican has allowed a sliver of light to shine into this most remarkable repository. The Holy See has permitted, for the first time, a commercial publishing company to produce a lavish, hard-bound book that features reproductions of more than 100 of the archives’ most fascinating documents.

“We were amazed by the access we were given and the speed with which the whole project was completed,” says Paul Van den Heuvel, the head of the Belgian publishing house undertaking the task. “The Vatican is beginning to realize what an incredible asset it has.”

The tentative opening up to the outside world is also an attempt to dispel some of the myths and mystique that have always enveloped the archives.

The 30 archivists who work in the Secret Archives, in an inner sanctum of the Vatican City State, are eager to dispel the notion that they guard the Roman Catholic Church's darkest secrets.

“They are the private archives of the popes. We really don’t have many secrets,” says Marco Grilli, the secretary to the prefecture of the archives."

SEE: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0721/Dan-Brown-take-note-Vatican-s-Secret-Archives-unveiled

 

Comments

[gina conn]

Hi there, like your blog! My name is Gina, and I work at NET NY www.netny.net, a New York City Catholic channel located in Brooklyn. I'm working on a story about the Pope's visit to the UK this upcoming September. And I'm reaching out to see if anyone who will physically be at the papal visit would like to contribute to our coverage in a small, yet exciting way. We are looking for some overseas "correspondents", who could contribute their experiences to our show and/or website. A photo, a little written blurb, or perhaps a quick video showing the atmosphere from your camera phone. It would require little time and effort, and anyone participating would receive credit of course. You would be perfect. If you have any interest, or knows anybody who will be at the event and willing to help, please shoot me a message or email. Thank you so much for your time, and have a wonderful day.
thanks, gina

gconn@netny.com

[jmm]

I can hear it already...."Oh yeah? Well where are the REAL secret documents? We KNOW your hiding aliens"

[Mark]

A better novel than anything Dan Brown ever wrote is On This Rock by Dave Leonard. it's got a much more realistic plot... no giant albinos walking around killing people and it explains much more about what is probably the true history of the Catholic Church..