Apostolic Signatura

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[10] In the thirteenth century the Popes made use of "referendarii" to investigate and prepare the signing – hence the name signatura – of petitions and other cases presented to the Holy See.

Pope Eugene IV entrusted these referendaries with authority to sign certain petitions and thereby established a permanent office for this purpose.

[citation needed] On 29 June 1908, Pope Pius X reestablished a single Apostolic Signatura consisting of six cardinals, one of whom acted as its prefect.

[14] Prior to that, the Cardinal Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura had served ex officio as the President of the Supreme Court of Vatican City (Corte di Cassazione).