Chancery of Apostolic Briefs

The Papal Chancery ( Cancellaria Apostolica ) was one of the oldest departments of the Roman Curia, its founding dates back to the 4th century. She was initially responsible for the preparation, certification, sealing and preservation of the Apostolic Letter and papal orders. She was referred to the 12th century as " scrinium Apostolica " ( Papal Archive ). Since 1088 it has been led by the " Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church." The " Cancellarius " must not be confused with the Camerlengo. The first papal chancellor was 1088-1118 John of Gaeta, later Pope Gelasius II (1118 /19). Between 1088 and 1187 some incumbents contributed simultaneously the term " Bibliothecarius ," meaning " Librarian of the Holy Roman Church." From 1187 to 1908 the incumbent was entitled " Vice - Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church." From 1532 the titular church of San Lorenzo received the " Chancellor Cardinal ," as he was also named in Damaso. Since 1908, we turned back the term " Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church ", if the last Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church was 1968-1972 Cardinal Luigi Traglia. After 1973, the Pontifical firm was incorporated in the State Secretariat.

History

The original reason for the creation of a Pope Firm was to collect and manage donations for the construction of the papal forces. Since the 11th century the papal office was headed by a Cancellarius who was Bibliothecarius simultaneously. Around 1100 was still in use today form the lead cop who was kept in the papal chancery. Since 1187 is now the official title of " Vice - Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church." Important papal letters were sealed after the fair copy with the Bull and received by a documentary status. The work processes and responsibilities were written in firm rules as in the " Liber diurnus " and " Liber Cancellariae " and. Among Pope John XXII (1316-1334) published in a separate collection. Among the most important source collections include the Pope registers containing copies of the certificates and letters of popes. Of the Popes Leo I and Gregory I only fragments have been preserved, this are the documents of Gregory VII and Innocent III. completely before.

The increased volume of letters, certificates, statements and other documents meant that more and more writers, archivists and administrators were required to conduct the papal correspondence on track. With Pope Martin V (1417-1431) began as a result of the Council of Constance (1414 /18) an increased correspondence and creating documents. This in turn meant that the law firm had to be enlarged staff.

" The items in the Registry are converted into venal offices since the second half of the 15th century ( officia venalia vacabilia ) in order to meet the growing financial needs of the Curia. The prospective buyer acquires the Office of the Pope for a fixed sum; associated with the office revenue (eg taxes) form as it were the interest on the purchase price. The owner gets the office for life and it can even resell them; only if he dies before it falls back to the Pope, who can sell it again. To protect their rights, most offices are organized as a college; that is, they manage their own affairs official. "

Between approximately 1485 and 1513 the Palazzo della Cancelleria was built, the Leo X ( 1513-1521 ) to his cousin Giulio de ' Medici, later Pope Clement VII ( 1523-1534 ) gave, this one taught there the Papal Chancellery. Under the two Medici popes the Office of the Vice - Chancellor rose, together with the popes, to pomp and power on. The largest contribution to the reform of the Roman Catholic Church were Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590), through the reorganization of the Roman Curia, this also included the Papal Chancellery. During the pontificate of Pope Clement XII. (1730-1740) and the administrative apparatus ballooned to more and more and the grievances and debt burdens increased significantly. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) reformed in 1808, after Napoleon's invasion of Rome, the firm transferred its new tasks and thus wanted to prevent access of the occupiers of Rome.

In the 20th century

With the Apostolic Constitution Sapienti consilio from June 29, 1908 led Pope Pius X (1903-1914 ) through a major restructuring of the Roman Curia. His goal was to have a strict separation between the administration and the courts brought about. The Pontifical office staff have been reduced and now consisted of the conductor ( Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church ), a few Proto Apostolic notaries, notary, a secretary and archivist, a secretary and four writers. After this reform of the Curia was making out and the shipping Papal bulls exclusively by the Papal office.

At the next reform of the Curia in 1968 by Pope Paul VI. was now conducted by the Registrar - Cardinal Division to the Central Office in the drawing up and sending important documents. With the Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio "Quo aptius " assigns Pope Paul VI. February 27, 1973 that the Pontifical firm is incorporated in the State Secretariat, thus ended the independence of the Papal office.

Significant Chancellor / Vice - Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church

• John of Gaeta (1088-1118), first chancellor and later Pope Gelasius I (1118 /19)
• Gerardus Caccianemici (1141-1144), who later became Pope Lucius II ( 1144/45 )
• Rolandus Bandinelli (1153-1159), who later became Pope Alexander III. (1159-1181)
• Albertus de Morra (1178-1187), first vice - chancellor and later Pope Gregory VIII ( 1187 )
• Cencius camerarius (1194-1198), who later became Pope Honorius III. (1216-1227); He never referred to himself as Chancellor
• Sinibaldus Fieschi (1226-1227), who later became Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254)
• Rodrigo Borja y Borja - Lanzol ( Borgia ) ( 1457-1492 ), who later became Pope Alexander VI. (1492-1503)
• Giulio de ' Medici (1517-1523), who later became Pope Clement VII (1523-1534)

Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church 1908-1973

• Cardinal Antonio Agliardi (1908-1915)
• Cardinal Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo (1915-1927)
• Cardinal Andreas Franz Frühwirth OP (1927-1933)
• Cardinal Tommaso Pio Boggiani OP (1933-1942)
• Cardinal Celso Benigno Luigi Constantini (1954-1958)
• Cardinal Luis Santiago Copello (1959-1967)
• Cardinal Luigi Traglia (1967-1973)