122 
Propaganda Fide 
taken together. It is fortunate that these archives have always been preserved 
with especial care. In 1707 it was proposed to appoint two officers with the 
title of procurators, each to take general charge of the affairs of one-half of 
the world; a plan which with slight differences was often discussed. In a 
paper arguing against it, the second reason was: “ Che in caso di morte, 6 
altro accidente di Pro’ri vi puo esser periculo di perdersi le lettere e scritture, 
6 altre notizie, che ad essi se manderanno da Vescovi, e missionari, par pre- 
sentarle alia Cong ne ; Mentre presentem te si conservano tutti esattam te nell’ 
archivio della me ma ”. 18 The archives of the congregation are practically com¬ 
plete. 
These archives occupy rooms in the palace on the Piazza di Spagna which 
has been the seat of the Propaganda since 1633, and have been moved but 
once, when they were taken to Paris. 18 For a short period toward the close 
of the nineteenth century they were open on the same terms as those of the 
Vatican, but have since been closed, 20 and are now accessible only by special 
permission not readily granted. To such as have permission to use them the 
archives are open from Nov. 1 to the end of June, and as they are not closed 
on Thursdays, their use can be well combined with that of the Vatican. The 
most considerable publications from their contents have been made by, or in 
behalf of, the Propaganda itself, such as the Bullarium , 21 and the Annals 
published periodically at Lyons 22 since 1839. An English translation of 
the Relation by Cerri was published in London in 1715. 23 Of the studies 
made from them by European scholars, the only one of interest for Ameri¬ 
can history is that by Professor Blok, “ Lijst van Dokumenten betreffende 
ons Land, voorhanden in de Archieven van het S. C. di Propaganda Fide 
te Rome ”. 24 For American history they have been used by Father Hughes 
in his History of the Jesuits in North America, and by J. G. Shea for his 
Catholic Church in Colonial Days, and his Life and Times of the Most Rev¬ 
erend John CarrollA The best description of the archives is that by Anton 
Pieper, in the Romische Quartalschrift. 28 
18 /R/f, 1707, p. 377, Oct. 3. 
w G. Bourgin, Les Archives Pontificates, p. 94. 
20 C. H. Haskins, “ The Vatican Archives ”, in American Historical Review, II. 42. 
21 Bullarium Pontificium Sacrae Congregations de Propaganda Fide (Rome, 1839), 
• 5 vols., with 2 vols. of appendix, and one of index—this contains many documents prior 
to 1622; Collectanea S. Congregations de Propaganda Fide seu Decreta lnstructiones 
Rescripta pro Apostolicis Missionihus, vol. I., 1622-1866 (Rome, 1893, pp. xi, 926) ; vol. 
II., 1866-1906 (Rome, 1907, pp. 573) ; Constitute Ap licae Sac. Cong nis de Propa da Fide , 
292 pp., printed 1721, and found in the Archives of the Propaganda, Misc. Varie XVII. 
22 Annali della Propagazione della Fede; Raccolta periodica delle Lettere dei Vescovi 
e dei Missionari nelle Missioni dei due Mondi, e di tutti i Documenti concernanti le 
Mission e VOpera Pia della Propagazione della Fede (Lyons, 1837- )• There are 
also minor publications, statistical and descriptive, published from time to time, and 
based in part upon these archives; but none, I believe, using material prior to 1815. 
23 This was widely circulated in manuscript, under slightly differing titles, and an 
English translation, with an introduction by Richard Steele, appeared in London, 1715, 
under the title, An Account of the State of the Roman Catholic Religion throughout 
the World. 
24 In the Archief voor de Geschiedenis van het Aartsbisdom Utrecht, XXVII. 329-376, 
for the years 1622-1665; and XXVIII. 38-113, for the years 1665-1704. These extracts 
are taken from the Indici Generali. 
^ 25 See also American Catholic Researches, XIII. 35-41 (Philadelphia, 1896), and T. J. 
Shahan, “ L’Histoire de l’Eglise Catholique aux fitats Unis ”, in Revue d’Histoire Ec- 
clesiastique, I. 679-684, a discussion of sources. 
28 “ Das Propaganda-Archiv ”, in Rom. Quart., I. 80-99, 259-265. See also Hinojosa, 
Los Despachos, pp. xlix- 1 , and I. Kollmann, “ O Archivu Sv. Kongregace de Propa¬ 
ganda Fide ”, in Casopis Musea Kralovstvi Ceskeho, LXVI. 423-442. 
