1 - THE PAPAL CHANCERY

Summary

THE CHANCERY IN THE LATE TWELFTH AND EARLY THIRTEENTH CENTURIES

On his accession to the papacy in July 1216 Honorius inherited an administrative machine which in the previous quarter century had undergone an unparalleled expansion and a radical reformation and rationalization. In this development he had played a personal rôle as papal chamberlain from 1188 to 1198, concerned with the collection of rents, tributes and taxes. The organization of the Chamber is not of direct concern here, but Honorius's Liber Censuum exhibits an author who was deeply versed in the administration of the papal curia and one whose administrative efficiency was to influence his activities as pope. Furthermore from 1194, as cardinal deacon of S. Lucia in Orthea, he combined the office of papal chamberlain with that of acting chancellor, in succession to Egidio cardinal deacon of S. Niccolò in Carcere, dating papal letters between 6 November 1194 and 10 September 1197. He controlled both Chancery and Chamber until 1198. The close connection between the two offices is witnessed by the scribe of the Liber Censuum, Willelmus Rofio of Saint-Jean-d'Angély in Saintonge, who was described by Cencio as ‘clericus camere et cancellarie domini pape scriptor’. When the young Cardinal Lothario dei Conti, consecrated Pope Innocent III, came into power, the cardinal deacon Cencio was not retained under the new régime in either the office of chamberlain or that of chancellor.