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To all Experts and Institutes of Culture all over the World

The news that the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana is going to be closed for a period of three years preoccupies all of us, since we consider this Biblioteca to be a universal essential tool. We have prepared the following petition to send to the Holy Father who we are sure will appreciate and consider with competence and particular awareness. If you would like to partecipate in our request, please fill in the following table.

Thank you for your attention and collaboration.

The text of the petition that will be sent to the Holy Father follows:

To His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Holy Father, in these last days the public has been informed that the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana would be kept closed for at least three years, from next July, because of refurbishment activity in the restoration laboratories and other divisions of the whole complex. All the body of experts does appreciate a lot this initiative to maintain, improve and increase the value of such a universal cultural heritage, placed with such great generosity and faultless method to the service of researchers and scientists from all the world. At the same time, however, this body feels the need to share with you, Holy Father, its great concern for all those specialists from all over the world who, at this time, are already engaged with study and research, perhaps having also imposed on them didactic and editorial deadlines. With the closing of the Biblioteca, they would certainly have to suspend their work, interrupting, thus, years of research and editorial projects in various fields of humanistic, religious, and scientific study. Such concern is also shared with all those foreign cultural and diplomatic organisms who consider the Biblioteca as a privileged tool in their support from their own premises to research and study exchange. Therefore, the already mentioned institutions (universities, academies, Italian and foreign cultural institutes) and all other experts concerned, present You, Holy Father, with their humble request of, if it is possible, leaving the Biblioteca accessible to the public, even during this period of refurbishment. Our request involves also that essential division “Manoscritti”. We would appreciate a lot if it continues to render service to the public, especially in the consultation of historical material. While being certain that the Holy Father is going to take an enlightened and positive consideration of our request, we already express our gratefulness for his gentleness in examining our demand and ask respectfully and devotionally for his blessing.