for the correspondence, registration, and care of the archives, such administrative bureaus are provided with a secretariat or chancery. the chancery is a necessary element of administration in every diocese. some provision for its duties must be made, even in missionary dioceses, apostolic prefectures, and apostolic vicariates. unless the official correspondence were properly cared for, there would be no tradition in diocesan management, important documents would be lost, and the written evidence necessary in lawsuits and trials would be lacking.