“Places of Memory”: Working with Roman Catholic Archives

The Roman Catholic Church has always been aware of its history and has developed a theology of the past. A document produced by the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church in 1997, The Pastoral Function of Church Archives , brought together some of its central principles. Nevertheless, in practice, the Catholic community has followed these ideals to different degrees of success. This short article presents several case studies in the United Kingdom and Rome, and surveys the challenges facing Catholic archives. If religious archives are “places of memory,” the “memory” is often only occasionally tapped. There is always a real danger of historical amnesia. Religious archives should be confident in demonstrating that valuing the past means illuminating the present and believing in the future.