ðə kəlˈɛkʃən wʌz kəmpˈaɪld baɪ fˈoːɹ dʒˈɛzjuːɪt pɹˈiːsthɪstˈoːɹiənz—pɪˈɛɹ blˈɛt fɹˈæns, ændʒˈiːloʊ mɑːɹtˈiːni ˈɪɾəli, bˈɜːkɑːɹt ʃnˈeɪdɚ dʒˈɜːməni, ænd ɹˈɑːbɚt ˈeɪ. ɡɹˈeɪəm juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts—ˈɔːθɚɹˌaɪzd baɪ pˈoʊp pˈɔːl vˌiːˈaɪ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈoːɹ, ænd pˈʌblɪʃt bᵻtwˌiːn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈaɪv ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wˈʌn.
The collection was compiled by four Jesuit priest-historians—Pierre Blet (France), Angelo Martini (Italy), Burkhart Schneider (Germany), and Robert A. Graham (United States)—authorized by Pope Paul VI in 1964, and published between 1965 and 1981.