Welcome and Explanation

Many people want to know what a chancellor of a diocese does.  The position of chancellor is one of the few that is canonically necessary to the working of a diocese.  Canon Law describes the duties of a chancellor thus:

Can. 482 §1. In every curia a chancellor is to be appointed whose principal function, unless particular law establishes otherwise, is to take care that acts of the curia are gathered, arranged, and safeguarded in the archive of the curia.

§2. If it seems necessary, the chancellor can be given an assistant whose title is to be vice-chancellor.

§3. By reason of being chancellor and vice-chancellor they are notaries and secretaries of the curia.

Can. 483 §1. Besides the chancellor, other notaries can be appointed whose writing or signature establishes authenticity for any acts, for judicial acts only, or for acts of a certain case or affair only.

§2. The chancellor and notaries must be of unimpaired reputation and above all suspicion. In cases in which the reputation of a priest can be called into question, the notary must be a priest.

Can. 484 It is the duty of notaries:

1/ to draw up the acts and instruments regarding decrees, dispositions, obligations, or other things which require their action;

2/ to record faithfully in writing what has taken place and to sign it with a notation of the place, day, month, and year;

3/ having observed what is required, to furnish acts or instruments to one who legitimately requests them from the records and to declare copies of them to be in conformity with the original.

Needless to say, confidentiality is essential to the work of a chancellor.  Consequently this blog will not really talk about much of the particular work of being a chancellor.  Instead, the focus of this blog will be theological reflection from the perspective of a chancellor.  You'll see reflections on the Sunday readings, reflections on theological topics from the cycle of the liturgy, and in this upcoming Year of Faith there will be series of reflections on the Second Vatican Council as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the most monumental Ecumenical Council in the history of the Church.

This blog is intented for reflection, and thus the expectation of commentators is that the discussions be civil and charitable at all times.  In a short while you will see the second post on this new blog format that hopefully will set the tone for the reflection and conversation we hope to engender here.  You will notice the picture of St. Thomas More at the beginning of this post.  Thomas was chancellor of England during the time of King Henry VIII; he was executed for not following the King in leading the Church of England away from unity with the larger Church.  Thomas More was a humanist who sought the reform of the Church in a time of great corruption in the Church, while at the same time attempting to maintain the unity of the Church in its members and struggling against a hostile state power.  In many ways our times are like his.  We pray to him that he may pray to God on our behalf to navigate through these times with great grace and love.