Abbreviators
(Abbreviare = "shorten", "curtail").
Abbreviators are those who make an abridgment or
abstract of a long writing or discourse. This is accomplished by contracting the parts, i.e. the words
and sentences; an abbreviated form of writing common among the Romans. Abbreviations were of
two kinds,
- the use of a single letter for a single word,
- the use of a sign, note, or mark for a word or phrase.
The
Emperor Justinian forbade the use of
abbreviations in the compilation of the
"Digest" and afterwards extended his
prohibition to all other writings. This
prohibition was not
universally obeyed. The
Abbreviators found it to their own convenience and interest to use the
abbreviated form, and especially was this the case at
Rome. The early
Christians practised the
abbreviated mode, no doubt as an easy and safe way of communicating with one another and
safeguarding their secrets from enemies and false brethren.
ECCLESIASTICAL Abbreviators
In course of time the Apostolic Chancery adopted this
mode of writing as the curial style, still further abridging by omitting the diphthongs ae and oe, and
likewise all lines and marks of punctuation. The ecclesiastical Abbreviators are officials of the Holy
See, inasmuch as they are among the principal officials of the Apostolic Chancery, which is one of
the oldest and most important offices in the Roman Curia. The scope of its labour, as well as the
number of its officials, has varied with the times. Up to the twelfth or thirteenth century, the duty
of the Apostolic, or Roman Chancery was to prepare and expedite the pontifical letters and writs for
collation of church dignities and other matters of grave importance which were discussed and
decided in Consistory. About the thirteenth or fourteenth century, the popes, whilst they lived at
Avignon in France, began to reserve the collation of a great many benefices, so that all the
benefices, especially the greater ones, were to be conferred through the Roman Curia (Lega,
Praelectiones Jur. Can., I, ii, 287). As a consequence, the labour was immensely augmented, and
the number of Abbreviators necessarily increased. To regulate the proper expedition of these
reserved benefices, Pope John XXII instituted the rules of chancery to determine the competency
and mode of procedure of the Chancery. Afterwards the establishment of the Dataria and the
Secretariate of Briefs lightened the work of the Chancery and led to a reduction in the number of
Abbreviators. According to Ciampini (Lib. de Abbreviatorum de parco majore etc., cap. i) the
institution of Abbreviators was very ancient, succeeding after the persecutions to the notaries who
recorded the acts of the martyrs. Other authors reject this early institution and ascribe it to Pope
John XXII (1316). It is certain that he uses the name Abbreviators, but speaks as if they had
existed before his time, and had, by overtaxation for their labour, caused much complaint and
protest He (Extravag. Joan. tit. xiii, "Cum ad Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae") prescribes their
work, determines how much they may charge for their labour, fixes a certain tax for an abstract or
abridgment of twenty-five words, or their equivalent, 150 letters, forbids them to charge more, even
though the abstract goes over twenty-five words but less than fifty words, enacts that the basis of
the tax is the labour employed in writing, expediting, etc., the Bulls, and by no means the
emoluments accruing to the recipient of the favour or benefice conferred by the Bull, and declares
that whoever shall charge more than the tax fixed by him shall be suspended for six months from
office, and upon a second violation of the law, shall be deprived of it altogether, and if the
delinquent be an abbreviator, he shall be excommunicated. Should a large letter have to be
rewritten, owing to the inexact copy of the abbreviator, the abbreviator and not the receiver of the
Bull must pay the extra charge for the extra labour to the apostolic writer. Whatever may be the
date of the institution of the office of abbreviator, it is certain that it became of greater importance
and more highly privileged upon its erection into a college of prelates. Pope Martin V (Constit. 3 "In
Apostolicae", ii and v) fixed the manner for their examination and approbation and also the tax
they should demand for their labour and the punishment for overcharge. He also assigned to them
certain emoluments. The Abbreviators of the lower, or lesser, were to be promoted to the higher, or
greater, bar or presidency. Their offices were compatible with other offices, i.e. they can hold two
benefices or offices at one and the same time, some conferred by the Cardinal Vice-Chancellor,
others by the Holy Father.
ERECTION OF THE OFFICE: INTO A COLLEGE OF PRELATES
In the pontificate of Pius
II, their number, which had been fixed at twenty-four, had overgrown to such an extent as to
diminish considerably the individual remuneration, and, as a consequence, able and competent
men no longer sought the office, and hence the old style of writing and expediting the Bulls was no
longer used, to the great injury of justice, the interested parties, and the dignity of the Holy See To
remedy this evil and to restore the old established chancery style, the Pope selected out of the great
number of the then living Abbreviators seventy, and formed them into a college of prelates, and
decreed that their office should be perpetual, that certain emoluments should be attached to it, and
granted certain privileges to the possessors of the same. He ordained further that some should be
called "Abbreviators of the Upper Bar" (de Parco Majori), the others of the Lower Bar (de Parco
Minori); that the former should sit upon a slightly raised portion of the chamber, separated from
the rest of the hall or chamber by lattice work, assist the Cardinal Vice-Chancellor, subscribe the
letters and have the principal part in examining, revising, and expediting the apostolic letters to be
issued with the leaden seal; that the latter, however, should sit among the apostolic writers upon
benches in the lower part of the chamber, and their duty was to carry the signed schedules or
supplications to the prelates of the upper bar. Then one of the prelates of the upper bar made an
abstract, and another prelate of the same bar revised it. Prelates of the upper bar formed a quasi-
tribunal, in which as a college they decided all doubts that might arise about the form and quality
of the letters, of the clauses and decrees to be adjoined to the apostolic letters, and sometimes about
the payment of the emoluments and other contingencies. Their opinion about questions concerning
chancery business was held in the highest estimation by all the Roman tribunals. Paul II
suppressed this college; but Sixtus IV (Constitutio 16, "Divina") reestablished it. He appointed
seventy-two Abbreviators, of whom twelve were of the upper, or greater, and twenty-two of the
lower, or lesser, presidency (Parco), and thirty-eight examiners on first appearance of letters. They
were bound to be in attendance on certain days under penalty of fine, and sign letters and
diplomas. Ciampini mentions a decree of the Vice-Chancellor by which absentees were mulcted in
the loss of their share of the emoluments of the following chancery session. The same Pope also
granted many privileges to the College of Abbreviators, but especially to the members of the greater
presidency. Pius VII suppressed many of the chancery offices, and so the Tribunal of Correctors
and the Abbreviators of the lower presidency disappeared. Of the Tribunal of Correctors, a
substitute-corrector alone remains. Bouix (Curia Romana, edit. 1859) chronicles the suppression of
the lower presidency and puts the number of Abbreviators at that date at eleven. The present
college consists of seventeen prelates, six substitutes, and one sub-substitute, all of whom, except
the prelates, may be clerics or laymen. Although the duty of Abbreviators was originally to make
abstracts and abridgments of the apostolic letters, diplomas, etc., using the legal abbreviations,
clauses, and formularies, in course of time, as their office grew in importance they delegated that
part of their office to their substitute and confined themselves to overseeing the proper expedition
of the apostolic letters. Prior to the year 1878, all apostolic letters and briefs requiring for their
validity the leaden seal were engrossed upon rough parchment and in Gothic characters (round
letters, also called Gallicum and commonly Bollatico, but in Italy today Teutonic) without lines, or
diphthongs, or marks of punctuation. Bulls engrossed on a different parchment, or in different
characters with lines and punctuation marks, or without the accustomed abbreviations, clauses,
and formularies, would be rejected as spurious. Pope Leo XIII (Constitutio Universae Eccles., 29
Dec., 1878) ordained that they should be written henceforth in ordinary Latin characters upon
ordinary parchment, and that no abbreviations should be used except those easily understood.
TITLES AND PRIVILEGES
Many great privileges were conferred upon Abbreviators in the
past. By decree of Leo X they were created nobles, Counts Palatine, familiars and members of the
papal household, so that they might enjoy all the privileges of domestic prelates and of prelates in
actual attendance on the Pope, as regards plurality of benefices as well as expectives. They and
their clerics and their properties were exempt from all jurisdiction except the immediate
jurisdiction of the Pope, and they were not subject to the judgments of the Auditor of Causes, or to
the Cardinal Vicar. He also empowered them to confer (today within strict limitations) the degree
of Doctor, with all university privileges, create notaries (now abrogated), legitimize children so as
to make them eligible to receive benefices vacated by their fathers (now revoked), also to ennoble
three persons and to make Knights of the Order of St. Sylvester (Militiae Aureae), the same to
enjoy and to wear the insignia of nobility. Pope Gregory XVI rescinded this privilege and reserved
to the Pope the right of creation of such knights (Acta Pont. Greg. XVI, Vol. III, 178-179-180). Pope
Paul V, who in early manhood was a member of the College (Const. 2, "Romani"), made them
Referendaries of Favours, and after three years of service, Referendaries likewise of Justice,
enjoying the privileges of Referendaries and permitting one to assist in the signatures before the
Pope, giving all a right to a portion in the papal palace and exempting them from the registration of
favours as required by Pius IV (Const., 98) with regard to matters pertaining to the Apostolic
Chamber. They follow immediately after the twelve voting members of the Signature in capella.
Abbreviators of the greater presidency are permitted to wear the purple cassock and cappa, as also
rochet in capella. Abbreviators of the lower presidency before their suppression were simple clerics,
and according to permission granted by Sixtus IV (loc. cit.) might be even married men. These
offices becoming vacant by death of the Abbreviator, no matter where the death take place, are
reserved in Curia. The prelates could resign their office in favour of others. Formerly these offices
as well as those of the other chancery officers from the Regent down were occasions of venality,
which many of the popes, especially Benedict XIV and Pius VII, laboured most strenuously to
abolish. Leo XIII (Motu Proprio, 4 July, 1898) most solemnly decreed the abolition of all venality in
the transfer or Collation of the said offices. As domestic prelates, prelates of the Roman Court, they
have personal preeminence in every diocese of the world. They are addressed as "Reverendissimus",
"Right Reverend", and "Monsignor". As prelates, and therefore possessing the legal dignity, they
are competent to receive and execute papal commands. Benedict XIV (Const. 3, "Maximo") granted
prelates of the greater presidency the privilege of wearing a hat with purple band, which right they
hold even after they have ceased to be Abbreviators.
FERRARIS, Bibliotheca, s.v. Abbreviatores; ANDRE-WAGNER, Dict. de Droit Canon., s.v. Abreviateurs; VAN
ESPEN, Jurist Eccles. Univ., Pt. I, tit. xxiii, Cap. i; BRANCATI DE LAUREA-PARAVICINA-POLYANTHEA, Sac.
Can., s.v. Abbreviatores; RIGANTI, In Reg. Cancell., IV, Index; LEGA, Proelect. Jur. Can., Lib. I, vol. II, De
Cancellaria Apostolica, p. 285; CIAMPINI, De Abbreviatorum de Parco Majori, etc.; DE LUCA, Relatio Romanae
Curiae Forensis., Disc. x, n. 9; PETRA, Commentaria in Constit. Apostolicas, IV, 232-233; V. 302-303.
P.M.J. ROCK
The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia