A diocesan chancellor is the curial official principally responsible for drafting, dispatching, and preserving the acts of a diocesan curia in its archive.[1]
Nature of the office
The chancellor is a notary by office. The role concerns the authenticity and custody of ecclesiastical records rather than sacramental rank; it may be entrusted to a layperson unless a particular matter requires a priest.
Canonical place
The bishop freely appoints and may remove the chancellor. The office requires unimpaired reputation and reliability, and in matters touching a priest’s reputation the notary must be a priest.
References
- 1.Code of Canon Law, canons 482–491 — Universal or special law governing the office and its competence