Internet and history: Radio of Vatican posted online its audio archive

The Vatican radio posted online its digital archive. Now anyone can listen to the speech of the Pope, since the late XIX century.

The collection consists of more than 8 million records from the archives of Vatican radio.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that the archive would allow keeping a record for history.

The Vatican radio was engaged in archiving records since its founding in 1931. The idea of creating of radio station belongs to Pius XI.

The collection, called "Voices of the Popes", contains records relating to historical events. One of the archive records refers to 1884 and contains a statement of the then Pope Leo XIII.

For example, in his speech, dated as of August 1939, Pope Pius XII said: "The threat looms, but there's still time. You will not lose anything from the world, but of the war you will lose everything".

There is also a speech of John XXIII, delivered by him in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis on St. Peter's Square.

Of recently joined archive records it can be mentioned farewell speech of Benedict XVI, when he said, that "it will be a simple wanderer, stepping on the last period of his earthly journey".

Earlier, as it has become known, that the Apostolic Vatican Library has begun the process of digitizing its priceless collection of manuscripts.