Only the pope can borrow from the Vatican Library; it's not open to
the public because it's chock full of some of the oldest, one-of-a-kind
cultural treasures known to man, including 2,000-yr.old copies of the
gospels of Luke and John.
From
the works of Michelangelo and Galileo to the priceless personal baubles
commissioned by popes and princes 600 years ago, get ready to ooh and
ah.
The library, in a way, has become the attic of Western civilization.
"Nobody knows what's exactly there," says Fr. Michael
Collins, of the shelves that if stretched end to end, would measure 31
miles.
Fr. Collins has written extensively about the
collection.
"It would be impossible for the human brain, I think, to
understand, to remember the titles, who wrote it, when they were
written," he tells Safer.
Says Msgr. Cesare Pasini, who
presides over the library, "It's quite a treasure of humanity that you
have here. They came during the centuries, but now this is their home."