Editing Abbreviator (section)

== Ecclesiastical ''abbreviatores'' ==
In course of time the [[Papal Chancery]] adopted this mode of writing as the "curial" style, still further abridging by omitting the [[diphthong]]s "ae" and "oe", and likewise all lines and marks of punctuation. The ''Abbreviatores'' were officials of the [[Roman Curia]].<ref name="Catholic"/>

The scope of its labour, as well as the number of its officials, varied over time. Up to the twelfth or thirteenth century, the duty of the [[Apostolic Chancery|Apostolic—or Roman—Chancery]] was to prepare and expedite the Papal letters and writs for collation of ecclesiastical dignitaries and other matters of grave importance which were discussed and decided in [[Papal consistory]]. About the thirteenth or fourteenth century, the Popes, then residing in [[Avignon]], [[France]], began to reserve the collation of a great many [[benefice]]s, so that all the benefices, especially the greater ones, were to be conferred through the [[Roman Curia]] (Lega, ''Praelectiones Jur. Can.'', 1, 2, 287). As a consequence, the labour was immensely augmented, and the number of ''Abbreviatores'' 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 Apostolica]]'' and the [[Secretariate of Briefs]] lightened the work of the Chancery and led to a reduction in the number of ''Abbreviatores''.<ref name="Catholic"/>

According to Ciampini (''Lib. de abbreviatorum de parco majore etc.'', Cap. 1) the institution of curial 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]] in 1316. It is certain that he uses the name "''abbreviatores''", but speaks as if they had existed before his time, and had, by over-taxation of their labour, caused much complaint and protest. He (''Extravag. Joan.'', Tit. 13, "Cum ad Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae") prescribed their work, determined how much they could charge for their labour, fixed a certain tax for an abstract or abridgment of twenty-five words or their equivalent at 150 letters, forbade them to charge more, even though the abstract was over twenty-five words but less than fifty words, enacted that the basis of the tax was the labour employed in writing, expediting, etc. the bulls, and by no means the emoluments that accrued to the recipient of the favour or benefice conferred by the bull, and declared that whoever charged more than the tax fixed by him was suspended for six months from office, and upon a second violation of the law, was deprived of it altogether, and if the delinquent was an abbreviator, he was 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 had to pay the extra charge for the extra labour to the Apostolic writer.<ref name="Catholic"/>

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", 2 and 5) fixed the manner for their examination and approbation and also the tax they could demand for their labour and the punishment for overcharge. He also assigned to them certain remunerations. 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 could hold two benefices or offices simultaneously, some conferred by the Cardinal Vice Chancellor, others by the [[Pope]].<ref name="Catholic"/>