Catholic Church. Secretariatus Status

The office of secretarius intimus (private secretary) was entrusted by Leo X (1513-1521) to Pietro Ardighello, an assistant to Cardinal Giulio de' Medici (the future Clement VII [1523-1534] and a cousin of Leo X), who took over the direction of foreign affairs dealing with all correspondence in the vernacular, especially with the apostolic nuncios who were entrusted by that time with diplomatic missions of a permanent character. The correspondence was carried on in the name but no longer under the signature of the pope. So began what has evolved into the modern Secretariat of State.

The office was subsequently directed by the cardinal nephew acting in his capacity as the prime minister of the pope, and thus gradually developed as an office of considerable power and influence, especially during the period of the Council of Trent (1545-1563).

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