Australian Diocesan Archivists

1. Australian Diocesan Archivists Circular Letter “The Pastoral Function of Church Archives” of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church Feb 2, 1997 Pauline Garland SAA

2. “…the traces of Christ’s action are revealed…” 1.2

3. MISSION OF CHURCH Sole intent of the Church is the announcing of the Gospel

4. Church archives • Preserve the unique and • Spontaneous documentation produced by persons and events • Cultivates the memory of life of Church • Manifests a sense of tradition

5. Cultural goods of Church are created by: • Memory of works • Witness of members • Continual search of believers

6. Archives are a cultural good because they record the path followed by the Church through the centuries

7. 1. TRANSMISSION OF DOCUMENTS • As a moment of Tradition • As memory of evangelisation • As a pastoral instrument

8. 1.1 Documents of Tradition • Enable reconstruction of daily events • Represent primary source of history • Can be gathered from Apostolic times onwards • Express oneness and continuity of Church • Record events of salvation

9. 1.2 Documents as memory of evangelisation • Contain history of pastoral work of bishops, pastors, missionaries, religious and lay organisations • Consists of reports of ‘ad limina visits’, national councils, diocesan synods, chapters, dispatches of missionaries, correspondence • Includes Parish records

10. 1.3 Documents as a pastoral instrument • Are a means of enlightening pastoral action • Make more concrete the memory of the facts of Tradition • Are a useful source of knowledge of different experiences of the past • Provide a forward looking awareness as a means of adaptation to the needs of the faithful

11. 2. Concrete plan of action • Have an effective diocesan historical archive • Adapt archives for current affairs • Collaborate mutually with civil bodies • Adopt common guidelines for Episcopal Conferences • Employ qualified personnel

12. 2. 1 Effective diocesan historical archive – Can 381.2 • Need to be adequately conserved • Ought to be carefully kept and • Systematically organised

13. 2.2 Adaptation of archival documents for current affairs • Be organised according to present day needs with openness to future developments • Show awareness of process of changes since Vatican II • Collect documentation from restructure of institutions • Possess a certain urgency and care for current affairs • Set criteria to acquire acts of special initiatives • Use modern technical methods of organisation

14. 2.3 Mutual collaboration with civil bodies • By awareness of cultural heritage • By mutual agreements of Church bodies • Through using Norms of ownership, nature and origin • By respecting civil laws • Through collaboration with political community

15. 2.4 A. Common guideline for the Episcopal Conferences • Respect of Church towards cultures • Be efficient instrument of dialogue with contemporary society • Preserve acts of concrete life of Church community • Draft diaries of local events • Care in gathering documents of traditions and initiatives becoming extinct

16. 2.4 B. Common guideline for the Episcopal Conferences • Converge on common practical guidelines that effect particular churches • Study ways to recover confiscated archives • Remind administrators of responsibilities to protect material documentation • Promote current training; membership of professional Associations; conferences • Reawaken pastors sensitivity to archives • Maintain Parish registers

17. 2.5 Employment of qualified personnel • Archival direction be given to qualified and properly trained individuals • Or combine other archive collections • Use management policy • Staff be active in archival science • Possess professional background • Use technical competence

18. 3. Conservation of Documents of Memory • Be aware of unique quality of documents • Use appropriate storage spaces • Utilise inventory and computerised methods

19. 3.1 Unique quality of documents • Because unlike library material • Are principle sources of historical research • Require appropriate access policy • Work towards recovery of dispersed material • Need of cooperation with other Church archives • Choice of paper etc • Correct collection management

20. 3.2 Appropriate storage spaces • Utilise properly equipped spaces • Hygiene – lighting, ventilation, temperature • Security - fire and burglar alarms • Practise vigilence towards collection • Use of technical instruments, finding aids, computerised equipment

21. 3.3 Inventory and computerised methods • Use computer catalogue programs • Establish inventory procedure • Other useful measures of access • Linking of various archive catalogues • Copying of important documents for preservation

22. 4. Appreciation of patrimony in the historical culture and the mission of the Church • Universal destination of the archival patrimony • Require regulations concerning archives • Interpretation of documents within their context

23. 4.1 Universal destination • Offered primarily at service of creating community • Also heritage of all humanity • History of the Christian people • All researchers • Disinterested openness, kind, competent

24. 4.2 Regulations concerning archives • Make known individual regulations • And harmonise with civil regulations • Use common guidelines for parish archives • Coordination of recording processes and collections • Set limits to use of personal files (privacy)

25. 4.3 Interpretation of documents within their context • Use specific archival procedures and • Bibliographical aids • Understand right context – principle of provenance • And principle of original order • Apply instruments and facilities for use, copy and reproduction of manuscripts

26. 4.4 Cultural formation through archival deposit • By use of archival deposit staff of Archives contribute towards cultural development • When they use scientific competence • Give access to researchers and foreign scholars, different nationalities • Contribute towards understanding, peace and unity of people

27. 4.5 A. Promotion of historical research • Promote cultural importance among civil bodies • Make heritage of memory a point of reference and meeting place • Can inspire cultural initiatives and historical research, centres of documentation • Need to become priviledged places for research the subject of conferences, didactic exhibits

28. 4.5 B Promotion of historical research • Assume a role of cultural agency • By promoting critical editions of sources and collections of studies • Become ‘tabernacles of memory’