The Vatican Library: A Testimony to the Church's Cultural Openness

The decision to establish new facilities for the Vatican Archives and Library was made by Pope Francis, who identified the extraterritorial area of the Lateran as the ideal location.

However, a Chirograph A document from the Pontiff, signed on September 14, reveals that in recent months new opportunities have arisen to create new spaces within the Vatican City State, and the area chosen by the Pope is the so-called «Fuente del Autoparco» and its surroundings.

Therefore, a new building for the Vatican Archives and the Vatican Library will be constructed there, with the space divided equally between the two institutions and a portion reserved for other services of the Vatican City State.

To this end, as directed by the Holy Father, the Vatican Apostolic Archives and the Vatican Apostolic Library, as founding and sponsoring entities, will establish a Vatican instrumental foundation. In the meantime, the Vatican Library will continue to use the storage spaces it currently occupies at the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary.

Old and New Cultural Openings

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV visited the Vatican Apostolic Library on Monday for the opening of the exhibition ‘AQVA: Catastrophe and Wonder.’ In his Speech, the Pontiff encouraged the members of the Apostolic Library to bear witness to “the Church’s long-standing and renewed cultural openness,” the Holy See reported.

“For the first time as Pontiff, I am visiting the Vatican Library, following in the footsteps of my predecessors,” said the Pontiff. “This is intended as a sign of the Pope’s closeness to and appreciation for the mission of the Apostolic Archives and the Apostolic Library, which serve to foster and spread culture for the benefit of the Church and all humanity.”.

The Pope and Providence: “My mother was a librarian, and here I am today”

At the start of his remarks, the Pope said, “God, in His providence and sometimes with a touch of humor, always reminds us that He is with us. Many of you may not know that my mother (Mildred) was a librarian, and today I am here, on my birthday, precisely to greet all of you.”.

The Holy Father then greeted the officials and staff working at these two Vatican institutions, as well as some guests and benefactors, to whom he expressed his deep gratitude, according to has reported Vatican News. Later, following in the footsteps of his predecessors who visited the Vatican Library, the Pontiff noted that this visit is intended to demonstrate the Pope’s closeness to and appreciation for the mission of the Apostolic Archives and the Apostolic Library, which serve to foster and disseminate culture for the benefit of the Church and all humanity.

The Pope's Library: A Heart, with Systole and Diastole

“How can I describe the Pope’s Library?” the Pope continued. “I’ll use a metaphor: the Apostolic Library is a heart. The heartbeat symbolizes life and results from two opposing movements, systole and diastole: contraction and relaxation, one movement toward the center and another toward the periphery. The Apostolic Library also remains alive to the extent that it maintains its own systole and diastole.

The Systole: “May the Apostolic Library continue to be a place of great intimacy, tranquility, respect, and care.” (…)

Diastole: “The openness and breadth of spirit of this library are evident in its humanistic origins: it includes not only works on theology, but also on literature, philosophy, astronomy, physics, mathematics, geography, botany, zoology, medicine, history, law, art, and economics.”.

“Works written in other religious contexts”

“Not only European and Christian books, but also works written in other religious contexts, from every corner of the world. And this was many centuries before this perspective became universally shared.”. 

“In this way,” concluded Leo XIV, "the Apostolic Library bears witness to the Church's long-standing and renewed cultural openness. The series of exhibitions that begins today also confirms this.".