On Saturday 15 October 2016 in Vatican City, the Executive Commission of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, composed of the President Archbishop José María Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, first deputy president Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli, archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, second deputy president Archbishop Mario Antonio Cargnello of Salta, and the secretary general Bishop Carlos Humberto Malfa of Chascomús, met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, and other officials of the Secretariat of State, for an evaluation of the work of cataloguing and digitalisation of the archive material from the period of the Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), conserved in the Archives of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, the Secretariat of State and the Apostolic Nunciature in Buenos Aires.

It was acknowledged that this process of organisation and digitalisation, which was carried out in compliance with the decisions and indications of the Holy Father and represents the continuation of work already initiated years ago by the Argentine Episcopal Conference, has been completed.

On the basis of a protocol to be established shortly, access can be given to the relative documents for consultation by victims and direct relatives of the desaparecidos and detainees and, in the case of religious or ecclesiastics, also their major superiors.

It is to be emphasised that this work was carried out in the interest of service to truth, justice and peace, in the continuation of the wish for dialogue and a culture of encounter.

The Holy Father and the Argentine episcopate commend the homeland to the merciful protection of Our Lady of Luján, trusting in the intercession of beloved St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero.