Guide to Documents Relating to French and British North America in ...

The organization of Udienze varied over time. At the beginning all items dealt with in the
audiences were written in the form of a register. Later, a separate folio was used for each item, and
at the end the secretary noted the Pope's decision. Many of the items are original incoming documents
that were to be discussed. A dossier was prepared that contained the original documents, a
memorandum usually from the secretary of Propaganda, and other material relevant to the case.
Audiences could be held in relationship with items already discussed in General Congregation
(in which case original documents are likely to be found in SOCG and the relative proceedings in
Acta), or dealt with in a Congresso (in which case original documents may be found in the Congressi
series).
A number of registers were compiled for Propaganda's internal use. 8 They are:
- Deputazioni e facolta ordinarie (1699-1856), 8 vols;
- Facolta straordinarie (1760-1850), 9 vols.;
- Registro delle udienze (1764-1832), 23 vols.;
- Minute delle udienze (1764-1803), 6 vols.;
- Udienze (1810-1848), 3 vols.
There is also a 28-volume general index to this series that covers the years 1666-1897, besides
some more specialized indices for the nineteenth century.9
8. DECRETI
This series consists of 13 volumes, probably compiled for Propaganda's internal use. It contains
the decrees of the General Congregations (seldom of the Congressi). As such, they do not usually differ
from the rescripta that are found in Acta.
Vols. 1-8 contain the decrees of the years 1622-1819, but there is a gap between 1675 and 1791.
Vols. 9-11 contain drafts of decrees. Vol. 12 deals with the economy of Propaganda. Vol. 13 deals with
Asia.
The Decreti sub-series of Fondo Vienna has the same origin as this series.
9. BREVI E BOLLE
This series consists of 13 volumes, which contain the more solemn pontifical decisions concerning
territories administered by Propaganda. Only vol. 1 deals with the period prior to 1800. Vol. 12 is a
collection of faculties, and vol. 13 a collection of professiones fidei.
10. CONGREGAZIONI PARTICOLARI
This series, which mainly covers the years 1669-1864; consists of 162 volumes. They contain the
proceedings of the meetings of the cardinals of Propaganda that were known as "Congregazione
Particolare" (Special Congregation). There is a vol. 34a and a vol. 34b.
For the period 1622-1668, the proceedings of the Special Congregations were dispersed within
Acta, their original documents to be found in SOCG. When the archives were re-organized in 1668,
a new series, Congregazioni Particolari, was created to contain all papers relating to the proceedings
of the Special Congregations. (One may recall that in 1668 a new organization of SOCG was devised,
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