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—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 benefices, 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.
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—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 benEFicEs, 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.