What's Hidden in the Vatican Library?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by everything2

Catholicism aside--some of you may be familiar with it--the Vatican library is one of the largest in the world, host to untold thousands of volumes the organization of which, no matter how good, will probably still have you taking the Lord's name in vain.

Founded over 500 years ago, the library has been the subject of intrigues, arguments, scandals, rumors, and mysteries, much like the many of its Popes. Stories of hidden stacks, secret archives, and yes, the largest collection of pornography in the world, have all leaked out into the world (no evidence of the latter has been reliably reported, though no doubt not for a lack of looking).

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1236696

I actually got on this when I heard there is a secret Vatican Library in Canada that was moved there for protection during WWII & that no one is allowed to use it these days. I found the above by searching this:
Web Results 1 - 10 of about 67,700 for secret Vatican library in Canada. (0.55 seconds) powered by Google
What are they hiding from the world!? By what right? Good grief & oh bother.

[Jay-qu]

The truth possibly? but probably hidden in umoungst a mound of hogswash.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Jay-qu

The truth possibly? but probably hidden in umoungst a mound of hogswash.

Always thinkin' aren't ya!? If not the truth then a least a truth or some truths. The truth is the Vatican forbids us to wade through any of it, hogwash or truth. By whose right do they keep ancient texts from their true heirs the people of the world? I propose a UN resolution to sieze all of it & house it where anyone can access it. No, really.

PS amongst

[Jay-qu]

sorry spelling was never a strong point, but I endevour to improve it

Maybe they are afraid of what could be found in there..

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Jay-qu

sorry spelling was never a strong point, but I endevour to improve it

Not a strong suit for me either, but I shall endeavor to help you.

Originally Posted by JQ

Maybe they are afraid of what could be found in there..

I have the inclination to not give a rat's patoot what they think or feel. They have information that is not theirs in any sense except they physically possess the medium that contains it. These books & their information belong to the world, the Vatican won't share it, and I say we people of the world ought to take it by force of law and its long arm.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Originally Posted by Turtle

These books & their information belong to the world, the Vatican won't share it, and I say we people of the world ought to take it by force of law and its long arm.

What happened to private property??
If it belongs to them, then obviously you shouldn't be getting upset that you are not aloud to see it.
That's like saying I have every right to browse the books of your personal collection at home.
I don't know. It just seems that if it's theirs, and they don't want to share, let them act like 3 year-olds. It's not hurting anyone.

[Turtle]

What's up with the whole Swiss guard business at the Vatican? We let the Vatican stand but go after the Taliban? I want to see those books! I want everyone who wants to, to see those books.
Write your UN representative now & tell them you want a resolution to authorize secular seizure of the Vatican's libraries.
http://www.un.org/english/

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

What happened to private property??
If it belongs to them, then obviously you shouldn't be getting upset that you are not aloud to see it.
That's like saying I have every right to browse the books of your personal collection at home.
I don't know. It just seems that if it's theirs, and they don't want to share, let them act like 3 year-olds. It's not hurting anyone.

Private property! More like stolen property. If my books are stolen then the law has a right to enter my home & seize them as evidence. We'll be the ones to decide who is being hurt or not when we examine the books.

[Mercedes Benzene]

I just found out that you can indeed look at the materials in the Vatican Library (secret or otherwise).
You must first be authorized.
You must then give the name of the reference material you wish to request. You can't just give a random topic. You have to have a specific title in mind.
Then the Vatican may authorize the request to see said material.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

I just found out that you can indeed look at the materials in the Vatican Library (secret or otherwise).
You must first be authorized.
You must then give the name of the reference material you wish to request. You can't just give a random topic. You have to have a specific title in mind.
Then the Vatican may authorize the request to see said material.

Uhhh...think about that. It is a bamboozle! You can't look at what you don't know is there & you can't know what is there if you can't look at it. It's criminal! I say again, write your UN representative & demand legal action to free these resources.
the words on these ancients documents are enough, but many of these pages were erased & rewritten with other material. Current scientific methods can restore these as they did that treatise of Archimedes on calculus (they wrote a prayer book over it!)
I'll find that reference.
The term for overwritten pages is palimpsest. Hard to find when you think the word is "palimsest".
http://www.archimedespalimpsest.org/