SEGRETERIA DELLE LETTERE LATINE. — This is an office of the Roman Curia, autonomous and collateral to the Secretariat of State, directly dependent upon the Supreme Pontiff.
The origin of the S. delle l. l. of His Holiness can be traced to the Apostolic Secretariat, regulated by Innocent VIII in the constitution Non debet reprehensibile (31 Dec. 1487). The need of the Roman pontiffs to correspond in an increasingly frequent, expeditious, and secret manner with the dignitaries of the Catholic world led to the establishment, outside the Apostolic Chancery, of the Apostolic Secretariat alongside the Apostolic Camera.
Latin is particularly suited to this correspondence. After the emergence of the modern Romance languages, it has always remained living, both as the official language of the Church and as the common patrimony of educated persons of every nation until the most recent times, precisely because by its nature it is universal, immutable, and perennial. This language is also exceptionally rich, concise, harmonious, adaptable to every nuance of thought, and full of dignity and majesty; one might say that it was born to serve the glory of the Roman Pontificate, which by divine disposition received as its lot the seat of the Roman Empire (cf. Pius XI, Apostolic Letter Officiorum omnium, of 1 Aug. 1922). Under current law, the S. delle l. l. is responsible (can. 264) for drafting the letters (Epistolae) and other documents entrusted to it by the Holy Father. It consists of the secretary of Latin letters, who holds the dignity of domestic prelate and is a member of the Pontifical Household (cf. Annuario Pontificio 1953, pp. 899, 903), together with several assistants and scribes; the latter are charged with copying each document by hand in a fine script; once signed by the Holy Father, it is also called a papal autograph.
During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the Sacred College, meeting in General Congregation before the conclave, customarily entrusts the secretary of Latin letters with the preparation of the Oratio de Pontifice defuncto, which the same secretary must read on the third day of the solemn obsequies in the Vatican Basilica.
The Latin letters are for the most part addressed to cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops and bishops, superiors general of Orders, congregations, or other religious institutes, rectors of Catholic universities, and other ecclesiastical or lay persons distinguished by authority or learning, such as the presidents of national Catholic congresses.
As regards their content, it may generally be said that they are sent on the occasion of some particularly important solemnity, such as centenaries, international or national Eucharistic congresses attended by a papal legate, episcopal or priestly jubilees of Ordinaries, and so forth. They therefore contain chiefly expressions of congratulation, benevolence, and exhortation from the common Father of the faithful, and not infrequently also precious teachings and instructions from the supreme Doctor and Teacher of the Church.