The Vatican is planning to make lots of material available in electronic form. Plans include a website for the Secret Archives, and some CDs that will contain archival materials related to prisoners of war during the WW2.
Here are some details from a Catholic news service article:
Scholars currently have access to Vatican archival material through the reign of Pope Benedict XV, who died in 1922. Cardinal Mejia noted that beginning next year the Vatican will make available documents regarding relations with Germany in 1922-39, the period of Pius XI's pontificate. In 2005, all documents from that period will be made available.
Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the office that oversees the Vatican Web site, said the addition of sections dedicated to the library and archive demonstrated a shift in the Web site's focus from providing strictly documentary material to also offering "cultural projects."
He said the Vatican also was studying plans to launch a "great Catholic portal" to provide an "encounter with the Catholic Church" to Web surfers, but he provided no details. In the past, Vatican Internet officials have talked about creating a more interactive site to complement its current site, dedicated primarily to church texts.
Related Links:
Vatican Secret Archives - current site