The items on this page can provide basic biographical and historical information about popes and the Papacy.  For documents or books written by a particular Pope, please consult the library catalog.  Keep in mind that most works are listed under the Papal names. For example, works by Joseph Ratzinger will be attributed to Benedict XVI, Pope, even if they were written before he became Pope.

For basic biographical information on Saints, consult one of these print resources or websites.  To locate specific proclaimations of canonization or beatification, try the Vatican website, or consult the Catholic Periodical and Literature index either in print, or online (now ATLA).  In some cases, it will be very difficult to find supporting documents, as they are unpublished, but the CPLI should locate any published documents in sources such as L'Osservatore Romano, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, or English-language publications such as Origins.