Why should the Vatican be allowed to?

Both the Vatican Library and the Vatican Secret Archives are open to qualified scholars for study. No one is turned away because they are not Catholic.

Vatican Libarary: http://asv.vatican.va/home_en.htm

+ Qualified researchers and scholars from around the world, particularly professors and researchers from universities and other institutions of higher education, and other learned persons known for their writings and scholarly publications, are admitted without distinction of race, religion, origin or culture. http://www.vaticanlibrary.vatlib.it/BAVT/info/vati...

Vatican Secret Archives: http://asv.vatican.va/home_en.htm

+ The Archives are open to qualified Researchers from institutions of Higher Education pursuing scientific researches and who have an adequate knowledge of archival research. http://asv.vatican.va/en/fond/amm.htm

With love in Christ.

They tried to keep the Bible from people, banning it for hundreds of years and perscuting, torturing and burning to death those seeking to live by it, and seizing their posssesions and property.

How do you think they became so rich?

When the Bible became more freely available at the cost of blood, the power of the Roman Catholic Church declined greatly.

Now we have the Bible we have no need of their other books nor of any other, The Bible is all we need.It has everything to satisfy the hungry soul, and best of all, is the means by which we may know God and His glorious worthiness.

As the Chief Priest, Rulers and Pharisees killed Christ to maintain their positions so the Roman Catholic Church seeks to replace Christ with itself.

The Rev is right. Yet I do understand what your saying. Is it likely we the people will make our views known about the writings and they would not like that? The reason they are valuable is because these are rare. Who knows if the writing is of wisdom, it is so old it will be out of date, past its read by date.

If they are secret how do you know they exist? Maybe they are keeping certain documents from those who will distort them like many have do to the bible?

And the so-called-secret vaults are open, by appointment only.

http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm (look to the left and you will see you can assess the secret stuff)

2 Peter 3:16

As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

Peace be with you

<<<Devout Catholic>>>

Perhaps not "anti-Catholic" but I'm sorry to say, misinformed.

1) The Vatican "archives" are available to the Public by appointment. A few very rare and fragile documents are available only to Scholars who have a need to study them...but none the less, they are not hidden or private.

The Movie industry and certain conspiracy theories have made it seem differently, but in reality, just about anyone can see them.

2) Much of the Art and ancient manuscripts are held in the Vatican FOR the general public, as a museum. If they were sold off.. they'd find their way into private collections and the entire world would be poorer for it. Like any museum, they do not HORD them.. they house them, for everyone to enjoy.

In times of war, sometimes the Vatican is the only place safe from hostilities where priceless treasures can be housed. This was definitely the case during WWII. Thousands of people stored their art and treasures in the Vatican because it was safe from Allied bombing and Nazi control.

3) Hypocrisy can be over used. People like to throw that word around.. and unfortunately, like "show me respect" - it has a nasty way of swinging around and coming back at you.

It would be hypocritical if the Vatican said "all the museums should sell their treasures to help the economy" but not do so itself. It is NOT hypocritical to say we need to not be greedy, but still keep its museums open, because museums are for the public, NOT private collections. No one is telling the U.S. government or France to sell off everything in the Smithsonian or the Lourve.. RIGHT?

So it is not hypocritical for the Vatican to keep art, if it is held for public viewing.

You may mean "inconsistent" or "contradictory" but hypocrisy is the wrong word in this case. It gets waaayyyy over used anytime someone finds something inconsistent. An inconsistency is not the same as hypocrisy.

4) Lastly, regardless of how much apparent wealth the Vatican has .... the fact still remains....

Based on the money it spends.. the scope of its operations.. the Catholic church is STILL the world's largest non-governmental provider of Health Care, Education AND Relief Aid. Regardless of what you think about it hoarding money.

So again, it is not hypocritical for the Catholic church to advocate people to be less selfish and to be more charitable because it is the largest group besides China and the U.S. educating people and larger then other nations and organizations like the Red Cross in relief aid and Health Care.

It would only be hypocritical if it were NOT for the fact that it gave more and did more then just about anyone else.

Here are some very simple statistics to give you an idea.

Over 5,000 Hospitals and Clinics in the world. 20% of U.S. Patients are treated in a Catholic Hospital each year.

Over 1,000 Colleges and Universities, most at costs lower then comparable private institutions. Most in countries where there is no higher education.

Over 100,000 K-12 primary schools in the World. 6% of all U.S. students are taught in Catholic private schools at a cost significantly lower then other private schools and with nearly 95% going on and getting degrees in college.

It is estimated that the Schools in the U.S. alone save tax payers 18 billion dollars if they had to be taught in Public Schools.

Over 8,000 orphanages worldwide, most in China, Russia and Africa.

While the WORLD rushed to Haiti to save it.. the Catholic church had already had relief aid there for decades and rushed more relief workers there than any other single group, including the Red Cross.

When the Pope talks about AIDS in Africa.. it is because he has the backing of thousands of Catholic Hospitals worldwide AND because the Catholic church has been actively fighting the spread of AIDS for decades.

So..... is the Catholic church REALLY that hypocritical when it asks us to do MORE then we are?

Its stomach wrenching, draconian, dogmatic ways are coming to light. The catholic church sits on zillions of dollars as people starve.Happily the catholic church and other old religions, which also create a lot of grief, are fading away as they are irrelevent for todays world. Truth is emerging such as the present disclosure of the 'x-conference 2010'

Dont worry all this change will bring about the golden age on earth of peace for all of humanity to put an end to all suffering.

The Vatican grants access to their "secret archives" all the time. You watch too many movies.

Their property = their property

Should I be allowed to break into your garage and drive off with your car, or force you to hand over the keys, just because I think you have a really nice car and think it'd be fun to drive?

There are no "secret" books.

I think they should sell all their art work and help starving children or pay for abuse done by priests though!

However it is just my opinion.

†

agree with the reverend but they should at least give out copies to the catholics..... unless it is all about their paedophilia. Thats the only thing they have lots of to hide!