The Apostolic Chancery takes its name from civil law and from the imperial chanceries, and in its essence is of very ancient origin. Since the Constitution of Pius X it has been reduced to a forwarding office (Ufficio di Spediaiont) with a small personnel. It comprises the cardi nal who presides, the regent, the college of apostolic prothonotaries, a notary, secretary and archivist, a protocolist and four amanu enses. At present the Chancery is charged only with the expedition of bulls for consistorial benefices, the establishment of new dioceses and new chapters and other important affairs of the Church.
The Dataria consists of a cardinal and datary, sub-datary, cashier, reviser, and writer of bulls, and minor officials. Formerly the Dataria was commissioned to grant many papal indults and graces, but since 1908 has only to investigate the fitness of candidates for con Holy See, to write and to dispatch the Apostolic letters for the collation of those benefices, to dispense from the conditions required in regard to them and to provide for the pensions or for the execution of the charges imposed by the Pope when conferring those benefices.
The Apostolic Camera administers the prop erty of the Holy See during a vacancy of the latter. The cardinal-camerlengo presides over the Camera and is governed by the rules of the Constitution 'Vacante sede apostolica' of 25 Dec. 1906.
The Secretariate of Briefs consists of the secretary and two office assistants. The secre tary is a prelate whose duty it is to write the Pontifical briefs addressed to emperors, kings, civil princes or other exalted personages. He also prepares the allocutions which the Pope pronounces at Consistories, and the Encyclicals or apostolic letters addressed to the bishops and to the faithful.
In addition to the above the Curia comprises certain commissions of cardinals, such as the commissions for biblical studies, for historical studies, for the administration of the funds of the Holy See or of the Peterspence, for the codification of the canon law, etc.; also the Pontifical Family. (See CONGREGATIONS, ROMAN; PAPACY; ROTA ROMANA). Consult Haskins,