The Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters, or simply the Secretariate of Briefs, was one of the offices of the
Roman Curia abrogated in 1967 during
Pope Paul VI's reform of the Pontifical court. It was divided into two sections.
The Secretariate of Briefs to Princes consisted of the Secretary and two office assistants. The Secretary was a
prelate responsible for writing the
papal briefs addressed to emperors, kings, princes, and other dignitaries. He also prepared the allocutions that the
Pope pronounced at consistories, as well as
encyclicals and
apostolic letters addressed to bishops and the faithful. He acted according to the instructions of the Pope. He was required to be a proficient Latinist because these documents were written in
Latin.
The Secretary for Latin Letters was also a
prelate or private
papal chamberlain ("cameriere segreto" in Italian) and was responsible for writing letters in
Latin of lesser importance on behalf of the Pope. He had an office assistant.
The Latin Secretaries also played a significant part in the proceedings surrounding the death and election of the Pope; one of the two Secretaries usually pronounced the funeral oration, in Latin, for the deceased Pope, while another held an oration after the mass Pro eligendo Pontifice ('For the election of the Pope') at the beginning of the
conclave.[1][2] The last Secretaries to perform this task were Del Ton and Tondini in 1963.[3]
^Pope Paul VI (15 August 1967).
"Regimini Ecclesiae universae". Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 16 July 2020. The text is available in Italian and Latin.
^
abcdeMoroni, Gaetano (1853). Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica (Vol. LXIII). pp. 265–267, 272–274.
^
abNotice of appointment: Diario di Roma (1832) Nr. 6, p. 1.
^
abcBoutry, Philippe (2002). "Prélats Référendaires et officers de curie en fonctions sous la restauration (1814-1846)".
Souverain et pontife. Collection. l'École française de Rome. pp. 489–651.
ISBN9782728310227. 300.
^
abNotice of appointment: Gazzetta di Roma (1848) Nr. 74, p. 294.
^
abMartina, Giacomo (1986). Pio IX (1851-1866). pp. 274–275.
^
abcdefBacci, Antonius. "De Leonis XIII Latinitate". Latinitas. 1 (4): 259.
^
abMartina, Giacomo (1990). Pio IX (1867-1878). p. 148.
^Palmieri, Pasquale.
"Giovanni Battista Palma". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
^Boutry, Philippe (2002). "Officiers subalternes de la curie et consulteurs des congrégations romaines en fonctions sous la restauration (1814-1846) (notes brèves)".
Souverain et pontife. Collection. l'École française de Rome. pp. 653–769.
ISBN9782728310227. 300.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "
Roman Curia". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. II. OFFICES OF CURIA - E. The Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters