The recognition of the «important role» played for the «defense of the historical heritage» and for the «promotion of knowledge», and the encouragement to continue working so that libraries are «places of peace, oases of meeting and free discussion» . These were expressed by Pope Francis while addressing about a hundred participants in the Conference of the Vatican Apostolic Library “Conservata et perlecta aliis tradere. Libraries in dialogue”, which took place from 14 to 16 November. The Pontiff met them in the Clementine Hall this morning, Saturday 16th, giving the speech we give below.
His Excellency
Monsignor Zani,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear brothers and sisters,
good morning and welcome!
I am very happy with this meeting, which expresses the openness of the Vatican Apostolic Library to the world. An opening that I specifically asked Monsignor Zani when I called him to this service; I told him: “Go and open it!”. I greet the leaders and benefactors, who contribute generously to the needs of this Institution. And with gratitude I greet the representatives of twenty-three renowned libraries from all over the world, who participated in the meeting Preserved and read to pass on to others. Library in dialogue. The Vatican Library wanted to dialogue with friendly and similar institutions on some key points, launching study tables that I hope can continue in the name of mutual enrichment.
This dialogue, conducted concretely on well-defined themes, will help everyone to best develop, in the new times we are living in, the educational and cultural potential of your Libraries. In fact, they are called to transmit the heritage of the past in ways that are significant for the new generations, who live immersed in a liquid culture, and therefore need solid, educational, welcoming, inclusive environments to be able to develop new syntheses, capable of taking hold of the present and look to the future with hope. Your mission is truly exciting.
In this regard, I would like to propose to you, as a reference figure, that of Pope Pius xi, Achille Ratti, who some scholars call “the librarian Pope”, but who was also a mountaineer. In fact he was at the helm first of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and then of the Vatican Apostolic Library. An active, concrete man, curious about the fields of science and the mass media, he promoted the importance of libraries in an extremely difficult historical moment, between the two world wars. While European culture degenerated into opposing ideologies, the Pope endowed the Vatican Library with new spaces; he favored systematic cataloging; opened a practical school for librarians. Protected by him, the Library became a safe place for many scholars, even those persecuted by totalitarian regimes, which the Pope always firmly opposed. It was an era of totalitarian regimes.
Pius xi makes us reflect on the resourcefulness, courage and concreteness of the work he carried out. Today, in fact, we are faced with equally decisive cultural and social challenges, to be faced with the necessary updating.
Technology has in fact significantly changed the work of librarians, making it more varied and faster. The means of communication and IT resources have opened up avenues that were unthinkable a few years ago. The systems of study, cataloging and use of book resources have multiplied. All this brings many benefits, together with some risks: large data stores are very rich mines, but their quality is difficult to control.
The high management costs of paper collections, especially ancient ones, means that only a few countries in the world can offer certain consultation and research services. The weakest nations are thus exposed not only to material poverty, but also to intellectual and cultural poverty. The worst risk is that the piecemeal world war we are experiencing slows down the progress you yourselves are witnessing; the risk that very expensive weapons rob culture of the means necessary to spread; that conflicts prevent students from learning and research, destroying schools, universities and educational projects. War destroys everything!
Many cultural institutions thus find themselves defenseless in the face of the violence of wars and plunder. How many times has this already happened in the past! Let’s work hard to ensure that it doesn’t happen again: we respond to the clash of civilisations, ideological colonialism and the erasure of memory with care of culture. It would be serious if, in addition to the many barriers between states, virtual walls were also built. In this regard, you librarians have an important role, not only for the defense of the historical heritage, but also for the promotion of knowledge. I encourage you to continue working so that your institutions are places of peace, oases of meeting and free discussion.
To support this commitment, I would like to entrust you with four criteria that I proposed in the Apostolic Exhortation the joy of the Gospel (cfr. nn. 222-237).
The first criterion: that time is superior to space. You hold immense deposits of knowledge: may they become places where time is given to reflect, opening up to the spiritual and transcendent dimension. And so you can encourage long-term studies, without the obsession of immediate results, encouraging the growth of a new humanism in silence and meditation.
Second criterion: unity prevails over conflict. Academic research inevitably gives rise to moments of controversy, which must be carried out within a serious debate, so as not to lead to abuse. Libraries must be open to all areas of knowledge, demonstrating a common purpose between different perspectives.
Third criterion: that reality is more important than idea. It is good that the concreteness of choices and attention to reality grow in close contact with the critical and speculative approach, to avoid any false opposition between thought and experience, between facts and principles, between practice and theory. There is a primacy of reality that reflection must always honor if it wants to sincerely seek the truth.
And fourth criterion: that the whole is greater than the part. We are called to harmonize the tension between local and global, remembering that no one is an isolated individual, but everyone is a person who lives on social ties and networks, in which to participate with responsibility.
I repeat the four criteria: time is superior to space; unity prevails over conflict; reality is superior to the idea; the whole is greater than the part. Let’s not forget these four criteria.
Dear ones, do not fear the complexity of the world in which we are called to work! May what you have shared help to grow, in your libraries, the wise “scribes” praised by the Lord, who know how to draw new and ancient things from their own treasure, for the good of all (see Mt 13, 52). Now I will give the silent blessing to all of you. And I ask you to please pray for me. And don’t lose your sense of humor. Thank you!
