Benedict XVI visits
renovated Vatican Library
by Gianluca Biccini
Translated from the 12/19/10 issue of
Benedict XVI spent an hour Saturday morning among the ancient manuscripts and incunabula of 'his' library, with a prayer that all those who avail of its services "to cultivate the sciences and the arts, may, as honest investigators of the truth, orient their efforts to the construction of a more human world".
The Pope's visit was his first to the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (BAV)(Vatican Apostolic Library), considered the library of the Popes, since it reopened last September, after three years of physical renovation and updating of its services, including the task of digitizing the manuscripts in its collection.
He arrived by automobile at the Belvedere Court entrance of the Library, where he was welcomed by Cardinal Raffaele Farina, Archivist-Librarian of the Holy Roman church, his Prefect, Mons. Cesare Pasini and the vice-prefect Ambrogio Piazzoni, along with the BAV's administrative council.
The Pope was accompanied by Mons. James Harvey, prefect of the Pontifical Household and his regent, Bishop De Nicolo, as well as the Pope's private secretary, Mons. Georg Gaenswein.
In the entrance atrium, at the foot of the grand staircase, the Pope paused to recite a brief prayer to bless the renovated premises. He was assisted by Mons. Guido Marini, master of papal liturgical ceremonies.
He proceeded first to the third floor reading rooms. From there, he could look out to inspect two external elevators (one new, and one renovated) installed to facilitate access to the various floors of the library.
Mons. Pasini showed the Pope how all the manuscripts and books in the library have been fitted with a microchip that enables the librarian to track the movements of any volume or manuscript.
Adalbert Roth, the German director of the department of printed publications, showed him the two copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the possession of the BAV.
The Pope next was shown the Reading Room for Manuscripts, where he was shown an old print from 1579 by the Milanese engraver Ambrogio Brambilla, who etched an overview of the Vatican at the time of Gregory XIII, with St. Peter's Basilica under construction in the foreground, and the Belvedere Court and the Vatican Gardens in the vicinity of the Sangallo Wall.
The engraving is in a book of engravings from the French firm of Lafrery, and the book itself was from the private library of a M. Seguier who was a royal chancellor in the time of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, and was one of the founders of the Academie Francaise. The volume changed hands twice more before the BAV acquired it at the start of the 20th century.
In the numismatic department, the Pope was shown two mint editions - a golden medallion commemorating the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929 and the golden jubilee of Pius XI's ordination as priest; and a ten-fiorin gold coin minted for Sixtus IV for the Jubilee of 1475.
The 1920 medallion shows the bust of Pius XI on the front side, and on the obverse, a chalice and host in the foreground to indicate ordination, and the Basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Peter's in the background, for the churches where Pius XI was ordained a priest, then consecrated Pope. The date of the Lateran Pacts is inscribed along the circumference.
The 15th-century fiorin for Sixtus VI is specifically papal. On the front, it shows Jesus entrusting his flock to Peter in a sunny meadow. Below that image, a smaller one showing two angels bearing the coat of arms of Papa Della Rovere (1471-1485). On the obverse, the image is of Jesus saving Peter from drowning in the Lake of Galilee with the boat of the apostles nearby.
In another Reading Room, the Pope greeted some benefactors, then proceeded to the office of Mons. Pasini where he was presented with three gifts from the library - a diary book for 2011 illustrated with photographs of the BAV's most precious treasures; the commemorative medallion marking the reopening of the Library; and a book of illustrations and reflections put together by the cloistered nuns in the Sacro Monte of Varese (northern Italy), who pray specifically for the BAV.
He then returned to the manuscript reading room, where he was shown two manuscripts and one archival document by Paolo Vian, director of the manuscripts department, and chief archivist Marco Buonocore. The first manuscript by Rabanus Maurus,
De laude sanctae Crucis, illustrated and bound in the monastery of Fulda, Germany, supervised by Maurus himself, who was abbot from 822-647. It has miniatures of Emperior Ludwig the Pius, and of Maurus and Albinus when the latter presented him to St. Martin of Tours. The manuscript belonged to Queen Christian of Sweden and was acquired by the Vatican in 1690.
The second manuscript set was from Thomas Aquinas - pages from his handwritten manuscripts of
Summa contra gentiles (pp 2-80) and his
Commenti a Boezio (pp 90-103) and on Isaiah (pp 105-114), The pages from
Summa contra gentiles include both the drafts written by Thomas and the final version written out by one of his secretaries, Reginald of Priverno.
The archival document was a papal bull decreeing the first Holy Year Jubilee in 1300, and granting plenary indulgence to the faithful who have confessed and done penance, as well as visited both St. Peter's Basilica and St Paul outside the Walls.
The Pope then descended to the Library's first subterranean level where the ancient manuscripts are stored at a set temperature and humidity, and visited the hall where papyrus documents are kept. Vian showed him a 2.7-meter papyrus scroll dating from 190 AD which was reused in the third century to transcribe a French poet's verses.
The Pope visited the new location of the photographic archives on the second floor, and on the first floor, the restoration laboratory, where he watched a presentation of the artistic and artisanal work involved in restoring paper records with printing and illustration.
Before leaving, he spoke briefly to those who had gathered to greet him: "Dear friends, I wish to thank you all for your work. As you know, in my message last month for the re-opening, I said what I thought about the need and great importance of the Library for carrying out the Petrine ministry". He gave them an Apostolic Blessing and wished them a happy Christmas season.
The Pope not only took note of all the improvements and innovations at the BAV, but he seemed to enjoy the atmosphere of a place such as he had hoped to retire to after his service in Rome - until he was elected to Peter's Chair.
