Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2019)

Part of a series on the
Roman Curia
Secretariat of State Section for Relations with States
Dicasteries Evangelization Doctrine of the Faith Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors International Theological Commission Pontifical Biblical Commission Service of Charity Eastern Churches Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments Causes of Saints Bishops Pontifical Commission for Latin America Clergy Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Laity, Family and Life Promoting Christian Unity Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews Interreligious Dialogue Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims Culture and Education Promoting Integral Human Development Legislative Texts Communication Vatican Press L'Osservatore Romano Press Office of the Holy See
Institutions of justice Apostolic Penitentiary Apostolic Signatura Roman Rota
Institutions of finance Council for the Economy Secretariat for the Economy Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See Office of the Auditor General Commission for Confidential Matters Committee for Investments
Offices Prefecture of the Papal Household Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church
Institutes Labour Office of the Apostolic See Vatican Apostolic Archives Vatican Apostolic Library Fabric of Saint Peter Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology Pontifical academies AVEPRO Supervisory and Financial Information Authority Domus Vaticanae
Interdicasterial commissions Particular Churches Church in Eastern Europe Consecrated Religious Candidates to Sacred Order Revision of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia
Commissions and committees International Eucharistic Congresses Historical Sciences Advocates Swiss Guards Disciplinary Financial Security Institute for Works of Religion Healthcare Sector Verification and Application of Mitis Iudex in the Churches of Italy
History Immensa Aeterni Dei Reform by Pius X Reform by Paul VI Reform by John Paul II Reform by Francis Roman Inquisition Former dicasteries Congregation of Bishops and Regulars Congregation for Borders Congregation of Ceremonies Sacred Congregation of the Index Congregation for Indulgences and Sacred Relics Congregation of the Vatican Press Sacred Congregation of the Consulta Sacred Congregation of Rites Apostolic Chancery Apostolic Dataria Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters Special Administration of the Holy See Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei Pontifical Council for Social Communications Pontifical Council for the Family Pontifical Council for the Laity Cor Unum Justice and Peace Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers Evangelization of Peoples Promoting the New Evangelization Catholic Education Culture Apostolic Camera
Related topics Pontifical commission Dicastery Acta Apostolicae Sedis Advocates of Roman congregations Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Catholicism portal
v t e

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]

In 1967, the office was suppressed as an independent department by the apostolic constitution Regimini Ecclesiae universae; its tasks were transferred to a new Latin Letters Office, subordinate to the Secretariat of State.^[4]