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Vatican Opens Secret ArchivesThe Vatican opened sealed archives from a department known as the Inquisition for the scrutiny of scholars January 22. Although Reuters reported that the files yielded few revelations, they do contain such intriguing material as the Index of Forbidden Books, which included translations of the Bible, considered heretical if they were not in Latin, the language of the church. Roman Catholics were forbidden to possess the books under pain of excommunication. Dating from 1542 to 1902, the files also contain information about the case of the astronomer Galileo, condemned as a heretic by the Inquisition for saying the earth revolved around the sun. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the archives, said at a press conference in Rome that the files were opened because it is "the church's firm intention to serve man, helping him to understand himself by reading without prejudice his own history." Posted February 2, 1998. |
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