Why won't the Vatican open its archives, Kat? Maybe they're afraid of those who would use the information for sensationalist, tabloid-style muckraking. There is a wide array of archive information that the Vatican has open to public review - but certain records, particularly recent financial records, require at least some access control - and that sort of control costs money.

Organizations don't ordinarily give full, public access to their records - there are too many reasons why it's not a good idea. The opening of recent records is a matter for the courts to decide. Since the Vatican is a sovereign state governed by the Pope, the Vatican retains the authority to decide what to release, and what not to. There have been many occasions when the Vatican has cooperated with court requests for release of information. I don't know anything about the particular situations you cite, although I am aware that there are Catholic scholars lobbying the Vatican for fuller access to records that pertain to World War II.

No, they're not going to open their books to everybody. Why should they?

I disagree with the Pope and church leadership in Rome on many issues, but I have no reason to believe they're crooks. Kat, I'm afraid your article is light on documentation and heavy on accusation. What has release of records to do with the Inquisition, or with the settling of the New World by Europeans? Which records are supposed to be released to whom, and by whom? As an investigator for the U.S. government, I was not allowed carte blanche access to records of U.S. corporations, local and state government, and even the Federal Government - even when I had an obvious "need to know." If that's the case, why should the Vatican be required to release everything to everyone?

A number of people here seem to think of churches as centers of ignorance, bigotry, and xenophobic hatred. That's just not so. The churches were the backbone of the U.S. Civil Rights movement, and they've done much to help the needy and homeless since then. In the current crisis, many of the churches have encouraged the country and the Bush Administration to seek justice and peace rather than vengeance. Certainly, there are people who use their religion as an excuse for their bigotry and hatred - but bigotry and hatred are not the essence of any major religion.

-Joe Offer-