The Apostolic ChanceryCanon 260, ''Code of Canon Law'' of 1917, translated by Edward N. Peters, Ignatius Press, 2001. ( la, Cancellaria Apostolica; also known as the "Papal" or "Roman Chanc(ell)ery") was a

dicastery A dicastery (from gr, δικαστήριον, dikastērion, law-court, from δικαστής, 'judge, juror') is the name of some departments of the Roman Curia. ''Pastor bonus'' ''Pastor bonus'' (1988), includes this definition: ''Praed ...

of the Roman Curia at the service of the

supreme pontiff The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The principal and presiding official was the chancellor of the Holy Roman Church who was always the cardinal-priest of the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Damaso. The principal function of the office was to collect money to maintain the

Papal army The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from ...

and to produce documents and correspondence for the Pope.

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

reformed the office when Emperor

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

of France obviated the need for Papal armies. In the early 20th century the office collected money for missionary work.

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

abrogated the ''Cancellaria Apostolica'' on 27 February 1973. Its obligations were transferred to the Secretariat of State.

History

Before 1908

The role of ''bibliotecarius'' first appears in 781, and was responsible for the pope's books as well as redacting documents. The role of ''cancellarius'' first appears under Silvester II. The ''cancellarius'' produced documents for the pope, while the ''bibliotecarius'' would date them. Subsequently, both roles tended to be filled by the same person. The use of the term ''bibliotecarius'' ended under

Celestine II Pope Celestine II ( la, Caelestinus II; died 8 March 1144), born Guido di Castello,Thomas, pg. 91 was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 26 September 1143 to his death in 1144. Early life Guido di Castello, possibly ...

(1143–1144). From Honorius III (1216–1227) onwards the head of the chancery was called the ''vicecancellarius''. The ''Cancellaria Apostolica'' was of ancient origin in its essence, but it derived its name from that of civil " chanceries", including that of the Imperial Chancery. The

primacy of the Roman pontiff Papal primacy, also known as the primacy of the bishop of Rome, is a Roman Catholic ecclesiological doctrine concerning the respect and authority that is due to the pope from other bishops and their episcopal sees. The doctrine is accepted a ...

required that he have in his service officials to write and transmit his answers to the numerous petitions for favours and consultations addressed to him. Throughout its duration the office was reformed numerous times. The Apostolic constitution ''Etsi ad Singula'' of

Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

of 5 July 1532 provided the cardinalatial title of the '' Basilica di San Lorenzo in Damaso'' to the chancellor. After

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...

had instituted a large number of offices in the ''Cancellaria'',

Pope Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...

placed many of them in the class of "''vacabili''", i. e. venal offices (a practice also of secular courts, e. g. those of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, even under the absolutist King

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

). The reclassification of many of the offices of the ''Cancellaria'' as ''vacabili'' was motivated by the need of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

for money. The

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

was often compelled to defend the Church by waging war, equipping martial expeditions, or at least financially assisting the princes who waged such wars at his exhortation, but the Papal treasury was often insufficient to defray even the expenses of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

. Accordingly, the popes resorted to the expedient of selling several lucrative offices of the Roman Curia to the highest bidder; however, these sales were not of the offices ''per se'', but of the receipts of the offices, e. g., the taxes paid for the favours that were granted through the pertinent office. Some of the offices that

classified as ''vacabili'' were of minor importance and therefore did not require special competence were sold with a grant of the right of succession to the heirs of the purchaser. Offices that entailed grave obligations and for which only pious and learned men were eligible were sold without this right and therefore reverted to the Roman Curia on the death of the purchaser. An

aleatory contract An aleatory contract is a contract where an uncertain event determines the parties' rights and obligations. For example, gambling, wagering, or betting typically use aleatory contracts. Additionally, another very common type of aleatory contract is ...

, therefore, was formed, its uncertainties being the amount of the income of the office and the length of the life of the purchaser. The prices of the offices, especially of the more desirable ones, were considerable:

Lorenzo Corsini Pope Clement XII ( la, Clemens XII; it, Clemente XII; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740. Clement presided over the ...

, afterwards

Pope Clement XII Pope Clement XII ( la, Clemens XII; it, Clemente XII; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740. Clement presided over the ...

, bought the office of regent of the ''Cancellaria'' for 30,000 Roman '' scudi'', a large fortune at the time. The disadvantage of these uncertainties might not be confined to the purchaser because he was free to condition the purchased office on the life of another designated person, named the "intestatary". The purchaser was also permitted to substitute a different intestatary if this substitution was expressed 40 days before the death of the immediately preceding intestatary. Other offices that

classified as ''vacabili'' were of greater importance, including that of Regent and those of the 25 solicitors, 12 notaries, and auditors of the Causes of the Holy Palace.

assigned the liberal proceeds of these sales as part of the remuneration of the cardinal vice chancellor of the ''Cancellaria'' (see below), but later

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...

rescinded them and assigned the revenue to the

Apostolic Camera The Apostolic Camera ( la, Camera Apostolica), formerly known as the was an office in the Roman Curia. It was the central board of finance in the papal administrative system and at one time was of great importance in the government of the Sta ...

. Pope Alexander VIII restored the revenue to the vice chancellor, who at that time was his nephew Pietro Ottoboni. The authority of the vice chancellor increased when in 1690 Pope Alexander VIII added to his office that of Compiler (''Sommista'') in perpetuity. The government of Emperor

of France redeemed many of the ''vacabili'', which resulted in few remaining.

, after his return to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, reformed the ''Cancellaria'' and prudently decreased its offices. But as he granted to the ''vacabili'' the privilege that, by a legal fiction, time of their tenures was regarded as not having transpired ("''quod tempus et tempera non currant''"), and many proprietors of ''vacabili'' having had obtained grants of ''sopravivevza'', by which deceased intestataries were regarded to be alive, some offices remained ''vacabili'' nominally, but not factually. Finally, in 1901

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...

abrogated all the ''vacabili'' offices and ordered his

pro-datary The Apostolic Datary (Latin: ''Dataria Apostolica'') was one of the five ''Ufficii di Curia'' ("Offices of the Curia") in the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. It was instituted no later than the 14th AD. Pope Paul VI abolished it in 1967. ...

to redeem them, when necessary substituting the office of the

Apostolic Datary The Apostolic Datary (Latin: ''Dataria Apostolica'') was one of the five ''Ufficii di Curia'' ("Offices of the Curia") in the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. It was instituted no later than the 14th AD. Pope Paul VI abolished it in 1967. ...

for their proprietors.

1908-73

The Apostolic constitution ''Sapienti Consilio'' of

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...

of 29 June 1908 reduced the ''Cancellaria Apostolica'' to a forwarding office (''Ufficio di Spedizione'') consisting only of the cardinal chancellor, regent, apostolic prothonotaries, a notary, a secretary and archivist, a protocolist, and four

amanuenses An amanuensis () is a person employed to write or type what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another, and also refers to a person who signs a document on behalf of another under the latter's authority. In one example Eric Fenby ...

. The preponderance of the minor offices of the ''Cancellaria'' were abrogated and its faculties were reduced only to the expedition of Papal bulls for Consistorial

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

s, erection of new

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

s and chapters, and other more important ecclesiastical affairs that required various forms of

apostolic letter Ecclesiastical letters are publications or announcements of the organs of Roman Catholic ecclesiastical authority, e.g. the synods, but more particularly of pope and bishops, addressed to the faithful in the form of letters. Letters of the pop ...

s. Thus Pius X restored the title of "Chancellor of Holy Roman Church" from the previous "Vice Chancellor" (see section below). The cardinalatial title of the chancellor remained the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Damaso, as it had been since 5 July 1532. However, the chancellor retained little of his former authority. He acted as notary of the cardinalatial consistories and directed the office of the ''Cancellaria Apostolica''. Finally, the ''

motu proprio In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term '' sua sponte'' for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a d ...

'' ''Quo Aptius'' of

of 27 February 1973 completely abrogated the ''Cancellaria Apostolica''.

Office of chancellor

Title of the office

Prior to the Apostolic constitution ''Etsi ad Singula'' of

of 5 July 1532, the presiding cardinal of the ''Cancellaria'' was titled "

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

". Scholars writing of the ''Cancellaria'' provided many ingenious reasons why that dignitary did not have the more obvious title of "Chancellor". The Italian jurist Giovanni Battista Cardinal De Luca regarded these explanations as senseless (''simplicitates et fabulae'') and proposed an explanation of his own, without insisting on its correctness: it was probable that the title of "Vice Chancellor" arose in the same way as the title of " Prodatary" ("''Prodatarius''"), the custom having been to title the principal of the Dataria Apostolica the "Datary" ("''Datarius''") if he were not a cardinal, and the "Prodatary" ("''Prodatarius''") if he were. The rationale for the titular customs of the Dataria was that the office of Datary was not in essence cardinalatial but rather of minor dignity; wherefore it was improper to entitle a cardinal with "Datary". The same custom still obtains in the case of an

apostolic nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...

who is elevated to the

cardinalate The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are ap ...

: he retains his office for a time, but with the title of "Pro

Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...

". This theory of De Luca is not certain, but is at least probable. ''Etsi ad Singula'' prescribed that the principal of the ''Cancellaria'' be titled "Chancellor", which was proper because the office had been occupied for centuries by cardinals. For the rest, the office in question was always regarded as one of the most dignified and important of the Roman Curia, as is evident from Moroni's account of the funeral of Cardinal Alexander Farnese, Vice Chancellor and

Archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...

of the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano.

Residence and titular basilica

The most splendid occupant of the office of Chancellor was the future

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

, who received as residence from his successor

the '' Palazzo Riario'', long known as the "''Cancellaria Apostolica''", where he remained. His former residence was in the '' Palazzo Borgia'', from which he moved to the ''Palazzo Sforza Cesarini'', the latter palace being, on this account, long known as the "''Cancellaria Vecchia''". The removal of the residence and office of the Vice Chancellor to the majestic '' Palazzo Riario'' in the '' Campo di Fiori'' was due to the confiscation of the property of Cardinal

Raffaele Riario Raffaele Sansoni Galeoti Riario (3 May 1461 – 9 July 1521) was an Italian Cardinal of the Renaissance, mainly known as the constructor of the Palazzo della Cancelleria and the person who invited Michelangelo to Rome. He was a patron of the ...

for his share, with Cardinals Petrucci, Sacchi, Soderini, and Castellesi, in a conspiracy against the life of

. Contiguous to the ''Cancellaria'' ''qua'' edifice, in fact forming part of it, is the '' Basilica di San Lorenzo in Damaso''. When

assigned this palace as the perpetual residence of the Vice Chancellor, he provided that the Vice Chancellor should always have the title of the Basilica; as the Chancellors were not always of the same order in the

Sacred College The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are app ...

, being either cardinal-deacons, cardinal-priests, or cardinal-bishops, this basilica could not follow the rule of the other cardinalitial

titular churches In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary d ...

that had the fixed grade of "titular" (a church over which a cardinal of the order of priests was placed) or "deaconry" (a church over which was placed a cardinal-deacon). The Basilica, on the contrary, became a titular for a Chancellor of the order of priests and a deaconry for one of the order of deacons; when the Chancellor was a suburbicarian bishop, he retained the Basilica ''

in commendam In canon law, commendam (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastica ...

''.

Office of regent

The office of regent, the next office in the order of precedence of the ''Cancellaria Apostolica'' after that of the chancellor, was instituted in 1377, when

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pop ...

returned from

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label= Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune had ...

to his see. Cardinal Pierre de Monteruc, the chancellor at that time, refused to follow the pope from

; as it was necessary that someone should direct the office of the ''Cancellaria'', the pope, leaving the title of vice chancellor to Montéruc, appointed the archbishop of Ban, Bartolommeo Prignano, as regent. At the death of

in 1378, Prignano was elected pope, and he appointed a successor to himself in the office of regent, which was thereafter maintained, even when the vice chancellor re-established his residence in Rome.

Modes of issuance of papal bulls

There were four modes of issuing papal bulls: by way of the Roman Curia (''per viam Curiae''), by way of the ''Cancellaria'' (''per Cancellarium''), secretly (''per viam secretam''), and by way of the

(''per viam Camerae''); because while some bulls were taxed, others were not, and it was necessary to determine upon what bulls the proprietors of the ''vacabili'' offices (see above) had a right to receive taxes. Thus papal bulls concerning the government of the Roman Catholic Church, being exempt from all taxation, were said to be issued by way of the Roman Curia; those of which the expedition was by way of the ''Cancellaria'' were the common bulls, which, after being reviewed by the abbreviators of the greater presidency, were signed by them and by the proprietors of the ''vacabili'', the latter of whom received the established taxes; the bulls said to be issued secretly were those in favour of some privileged persons, e. g. the

palatine prelate Palatinus (plural: Palatini), Latin for "palatial", were designations for various ecclesiastical offices in the Catholic Church, primarily of certain high officials in the papal court. Medieval Palatine judges In the Middle Ages, the judices pala ...

s, auditors of the

Sacra Rota Sacra may refer to : * ''Bibliotheca Sacra'', the theological journal published by Dallas Theological Seminary * '' Harmonia Sacra'', a Mennonite shape note hymn and tune book * Isola Sacra, an island in the Lazio region of Italy south of Rome * ...

, and relatives of cardinals, and were signed by the vice chancellor, also exempt from taxation; finally, the bulls of which the expedition was said to be by way of the

were those that concerned it. Because the style and the rules of the ''Cancellaria'' could not be adapted to these bulls, they were issued by the ''Sommista'', whose office

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

instituted and later united by Pope Alexander VIII with that of the vice chancellor. After

abrogated all the ''vacabili'' in 1901, the aforementioned modes of expedition ceased. A little later, the apostolic constitution ''Sapienti Consilio'' of

of 29 June 1908 provided that all bulls be issued through the ''Cancellaria'', by order of the Congregation of the Consistory for all matters of its competency and by order of the pope for all others, in keeping with the new organization of the ''Cancellaria'' as merely an issuing office. "Sapienti Consilio" further provided that the ancient formulae of papal bulls be modified, and a commission of cardinals consisting of the chancellor, the

apostolic datary The Apostolic Datary (Latin: ''Dataria Apostolica'') was one of the five ''Ufficii di Curia'' ("Offices of the Curia") in the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. It was instituted no later than the 14th AD. Pope Paul VI abolished it in 1967. ...

, and the secretary of the Congregation of the Consistory was charged with the preparation of new ones. This commission having reformed the bulls for Consistorial

s, Pius X by a ''

'' of 8 December 1910 approved the new formulae and ordered them to be used exclusively after 1 January 1911. The College of the Abbreviators of the greater presidency having been suppressed and the abbreviators of the lesser presidency having become extinct in fact, the apostolic prothonotaries in actual office were appointed to sign the bulls. The mode of dating papal bulls was also changed. Formerly they were dated according to the year of the

Incarnation Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...

, which year begins on 25 March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, which liturgically celebrates the

Conception of Jesus The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

. This mediaeval mode of dating remained peculiar to papal bulls, and over time caused much confusion. Pius X ordered that in the future these documents had to be dated according to the secular calendar year that begins on 1 January.

Governing Rules

The rules of the ''Cancellaria'' were instituted in various

Apostolic constitutions The ''Apostolic Constitutions'' or ''Constitutions of the Holy Apostles'' (Latin: ''Constitutiones Apostolorum'') is a Christian collection divided into eight books which is classified among the Church Orders, a genre of early Christian liter ...

that the popes customarily promulgated at the beginning of their pontificates regarding judicial causes and

s. In many cases the pope merely confirmed the provisions of his predecessor, but in others added or suppressed provisions. The result was an ancient collection of rules in force, and this mode of governing the ''Cancellaria'' continued even after Pope Pius X reformed the Roman Curia. These rules were usually divided into 3 classes: rules of direction or expedition that regarded the expedition of papal bulls; beneficial or reservatory rules that regarded benefices and reservations; and judicial rules that regarded specific prescriptions for judicial matters, especially appeals. The rules of the ''Cancellaria'' had the force of law unless exception was made by a

concordat A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...

. In ancient times, these rules lost their force on the death of the pope, and revived only upon the express confirmation of his successor, but

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

declared that without an express confirmation the rules of the ''Cancellaria'' were restored to validity on the day after the election of the succeeding pope. The commission of cardinals responsible for the reformation of the formulae of papal bulls was responsible also for revising the rules of the ''Cancellaria''.

Chancellors of Holy Roman Church, 1088-1187

Note: Some chancellors before 1144 used the ancient title "''Bibliothecarius''" instead of "''Cancellarius''". This office should not be confused with that of the Cardinal ''Camerlengo'' of Holy Roman Church, which is a cardinalatial office with competence regarding the vacancy of the

Apostolic See An apostolic see is an episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the apostles of Jesus or to one of their close associates. In Catholicism the phrase, preceded by the definite article and usually capitalized, refers to the ...

. * Giovanni de' Caetani (

Pope Gelasius II Pope Gelasius II (c. 1060/1064 – 29 January 1119), born Giovanni Caetani or Giovanni da Gaeta (also called ''Coniulo''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1118 to his death in 1119. A monk of Monte C ...

) (1088-1118) * Crisogono Malcondini (1118–22) * Aymeric de Borgogne (1123–41) * Gerardo Caccianemici ( Pope Lucius II) (1141-4) **Baronio, Pro Chancellor (1144-5) *

Robert Pullen Robert Pullen (surname also rendered as Polenius, Pullan, Pullein, Pullenus, Pullus, Pully, and La Poule) (c. 1080 – c. 1146) was an English theologian and official of the Roman Catholic Church, often considered to be one of the founders of Oxfo ...

(1145-6) * Guido da Vico (1146-9) ** Boso Breakspeare, Pro Chancellor (1149–53) * Rolando Bandinelli (

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

) (1153-9) **Ermanno, Pro Chancellor (1159–66) **Gerardo, Pro Chancellor (1166-8) **

Graziano da Pisa Graziano da Pisa (Gratianus Pisanus) (died 1205) was a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa, and the nephew of Pope Eugene III, Pope Eugenius III (1145-1153). He had studied law in Bologna, and hel ...

, Pro Chancellor (1168–78) * Alberto di Morra ( Pope Gregory VIII) (1178–87)

Vice Chancellors of the Holy Roman Church, 1187–1908

* Moyses (1187–1191) *

Egidio Pierleoni Egidio is an Italian masculine given name. People with the name include: Given name * Egidio (saint) (circa 650–710), Christian hermit saint * Egidio Colonna, Giles of Rome (circa 1243–1316), European intellectual, archbishop * Egidio da Viter ...

(1191–1194) * Cencio Camerario (

Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of import ...

) (1194–1198) * Rainaldo di Acerenza (1198–1200) * Biagio di Porto Torres (1200–1203) * Giovanni da Ferentino (1203–1205) *

Giovanni dei Conti di Segni Giovanni dei Conti di Segni (died 14 June 1213) was an Italian cardinal and cardinal-nephew of Pope Innocent III, his cousin, who elevated him in 1200 with the deaconry of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. He was also Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church 1 ...

, Chancellor (1205–1213) * Rainaldo Magallona (1213–1214) * Tommaso da Capua (1215–1216) * Rainiero (1216–19) *

William of Modena William of Modena ( – 31 March 1251), also known as ''William of Sabina'', ''Guglielmo de Chartreaux'', ''Guglielmo de Savoy'', ''Guillelmus'', was an Italian clergyman and papal diplomat.

(1219–1222) *

Guido Guido is a given name Latinised from the Old High German name Wido. It originated in Medieval Italy. Guido later became a male first name in Austria, Germany, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Switzerland. The mea ...

(1222-6) *

Sinibaldo Fieschi Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universiti ...

(

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...

) (1226-7) * Martino of Sens (1227–32) *

Bartolomeo Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include: * Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and lich ...

(1232–1235) * Guglielmo (1235–1238) * Giacomo Boncampio (1239–1244) * Marinus de Eboli (1244–1252) * Guglielmo di Catadego (1252–1256) * Rainaldo Maestro (1256–1257) * Giordano Pironti (1257–1262) * Michele di Tolosa (1262 – ) * Giovanni Leccacorno (1272–1273) * Lanfranco di Bergamo (1273–1276) * Pietro Peregrossi (1276–1288) * Jean Le Moine (1288–1294) * Giovanni Castrocoeli (1294–1295) * Pietro Valeriano Duraguerra (1295–1296) *

Riccardo Petroni Riccardo Petroni (Born Siena ca 1250 : died Genoa 10 February 1314) was a senior cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church during the closing decades of the thirteenth century and the early years of the fourteenth century. Biography Petroni studie ...

(1296–1300) * Pietro Valeriano Duraguerra (again) (1300–1301) * Papinianus della Rovere (1301 – ) * Pierre Arnaud de Puyanne (1305–1306) * Petrus de Podio (1306–1307) * Arnaud Nouvel (1307–1316) * Gauscelin de Jean (1316–1319) * Pierre Le Tessier (1319–1325) * Pierre Despres (1325–1361) * Pierre de Monteruc (1361–1385) * Francesco Moricotti Prignano (1385–1394) **''Vacant 1394–1405'' * Angelo Acciaioli (1405–1408) *

Jean de Brogny Jean-Allarmet de Brogny (1342 – 16 February 1426) was a French Cardinal. Biography He was born in the hamlet of Brogny, now part of Annecy-le-Vieux in Savoy. Biographers are not agreed as to his parentage and real name. According to some, he ...

(1409–1426) **''Vacant 1426-36'' *

Jean de la Rochetaillée Jean de La Rochetaillée (died 1437) was a French churchman, eminent jurist, and Cardinal. His real name was Jean de Fort. He was bishop of Saint-Papoul in 1413, bishop of Geneva in 1418, and bishop of Paris in 1421/2. He became archbishop of R ...

(1436–1437) *

Francesco Condulmer Francesco Condulmer (1390 – 30 October 1453) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was made cardinal on 19 September 1431 by his uncle, Pope Eugenius IV, and accumulated many offices and dignities. He was Camerlengo of the Holy Roma ...

(1437–1453) **''Vacant 1453-7'' * Rodrigo Lanzol-Borja y Borja (

) (1457–1492) * Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti (1492–1505) * Galeotto Franciotti della Rovere (1505–1507) * Sisto Gara della Rovere (1507–1517) * Giulio de' Medici (

) (1517–1523) *

Pompeo Colonna Pompeo Colonna (12 May 1479 – 28 June 1532) was an Italian noble, ''condottiero'', politician, and cardinal. At the culmination of his career he was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples (1530–1532) for the Emperor Charles V. Born in Rome, he was ...

(1524–1532) * Ippolito de' Medici (1532–1535) * Alessandro Farnese (1535–1589) * Alessandro (Damasceni) Peretti de Montalto (1589–1623) *

Ludovico Ludovisi Ludovico Ludovisi (22 or 27 October 1595 – 18 November 1632) was an Italian cardinal and statesman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an art connoisseur who formed a famous collection of antiquities, housed at the Villa Ludovisi in Rome. B ...

(1623–1632) * Francesco Barberini (1632–1679) **''Vacant 1679-89''Cardinal

Cesare Facchinetti Cesare Facchinetti (17 September 1608 – 30 January 1683) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Facchinetti was born 17 September 1608 in Bologna. He was the son of Ludovico Facchinetti (2nd Marquis of Vianino), Senator of Bologna, Amba ...

was acting Vice Chancellor 1679-83, but without the title. * Pietro Ottoboni (1689–1740) *

Tommaso Ruffo Tommaso Ruffo (1663-1753) was an Italian archbishop of Ferrara and Cardinal. Life He was born in Naples, son of Carlo Ruffo, 3rd Duke of Bagnara. He was educated at La Sapienza University, becoming a doctor of canon and civil law. He was a pa ...

(1740–1753) *

Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra (8 May 1708 – 18 January 1763) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal of the noble Colonna di Sciarra family. Biography Born in Rome, he was the brother of Prospero Colonna di Sciarra and grand-uncle of Benedetto Barbe ...

(1753–1756) *

Alberico Archinto Alberico Archinto (8 November 1698 – 30 September 1758) — was an Italian cardinal and papal diplomat. Biography Archinto entered the Roman Curia in 1724. Twelve years later he was ordained to the priesthood, and on 1 November 1739 received ...

(1756–1758) * Carlo Rezzonico (1758–1763) * Henry Benedict Stuart of York (1763–1807) * Francesco Carafa di Traetto (1807–1818) *

Giulio Maria della Somaglia Giulio Maria della Somaglia (29 July 1744 – 2 April 1830) was an Italian cardinal. He was, in his later life — a staunch '' zelante'' cardinal who, as Secretary of State under Pope Leo XII, helped enforce an authoritarian regime in the ...

(1818–1830) *

Tommaso Arezzo Tommaso is an Italian given name. It has also been used as a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name A * Tommaso Acquaviva d'Aragona (1600–1672), Roman Catholic prelate * Tommaso Aldrovandini (1653–1736), Italian painter of ...

(1830–1833) *

Carlo Odescalchi Carlo Odescalchi, (5 March 1785 – 17 August 1841) was an Italian prince and priest, Archbishop of Ferrara, cardinal of the Catholic Church and Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome. For years a close collaborator of popes Pius VII and Gregory ...

(1833–1834) *

Carlo Maria Pedicini Carlo is a given name. It is an Italian form of Charles. It can refer to: *Carlo (name) *Monte Carlo *Carlingford, New South Wales, a suburb in north-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia *A satirical song written by Dafydd Iwan about Prince Cha ...

(1834–1843) *

Tommaso Bernetti Tommaso Bernetti (29 December 1779 – 21 March 1852) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and cardinal who served in the Secretariat of State and the Roman Curia during his time in the cardinalate. He came from Fermo and was named a cardinal ...

(1844–1852) *

Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso (20 June 1796 – 30 March 1878) was the dean of the College of Cardinals during the last part of the record long reign of Pope Pius IX. Biography The issue of an ancient and noble Catalan Sardinian family,As fo ...

(1852–1878) *

Antonio Saverio De Luca Antonio Saverio De Luca (28 October 1805 – 28 December 1883) was an Italian bishop and prefect of the Pontifical Congregation for Studies as well as Cardinal-Priest of San Lorenzo in Damaso and Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina. Biography Born Bro ...

(1878–1883) * Teodolfo Mertel (1884–1899) *

Lucido Parocchi Lucido Maria Parocchi (13 August 1833 – 15 January 1903) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office from 5 August 1896 until his death. Biography Luci ...

(1899–1903) *

Antonio Agliardi Antonio Agliardi (4 September 1832 – 19 March 1915) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal, archbishop, and papal diplomat. Biography Agliardi was born at Cologno al Serio, in what is now the Province of Bergamo. He studied theology and can ...

(1903–1908)

Chancellors of Holy Roman Church, 1908–1973

(1908–1915) *

Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo (7 November 1845 – 11 July 1927) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Religious from 1913 to 1915, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1905. ...

(1915–1927) * Andreas Franz Frühwirth (1927–1933) *

Tommaso Pio Boggiani Tommaso Pio Boggiani O.P. (19 January 1863 – 26 February 1942) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who had a varied career that included a stint as the Apostolic Delegate to Mexico, service as bishop of Adria and archbishop of ...

(1933–1942) *

Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini (3 April 1876 – 17 October 1958) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and the founder of the Disciples of the Lord who served as the Apostolic Chancellor from 1954 until his death. He became a cardinal in 1 ...

(1954–1958) *

Santiago Copello Santiago Luis Copello (7 January 1880 – 9 February 1967) was an Argentine Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1932 to 1959, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935. Copello served as the first ...

(1959–1967) *

Luigi Traglia Luigi Traglia (3 April 1895 – 22 November 1977) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar General of Rome from 1965 to 1968, and Dean of the College of Cardinals from 1974 until his death. Traglia was elevated to ...

(1968–1973)

References

Sources

The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Apostolic Chancery
*Harry Bresslau, Hans-Walter Klewitz, ttps://books.google.com/books?id=lYTWOKghYD0C&hl=pl Handbuch der Urkundenlehre für Deutschland und Italien 1969 {{Authority control Former departments of the Roman Curia 12th-century establishments in the Papal States 1973 disestablishments in Vatican City