Datary

/ˈdeɪ.tə.ri/ noun

Definition

A priest or official in the Roman Catholic Church who worked in the Dataria, managing dated papal documents and correspondence.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin 'datarius,' derived from 'data' (given). The position existed from the 14th century onward as part of papal administration.

Kelly Says

A datary's job was to make papal documents 'real'—without their official dating, even the Pope's commands weren't considered legitimate, giving them surprising power.

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