the famous apostolic chancery ("cancellaria apostolica") developed in time from the chancery of the primitive bishop of rome. by reason of the latter's primacy in the church, his chancery naturally had far wider relations than that of any other christian diocese. the apostolic see had never legislated concerning diocesan chanceries until the 1983 code of canon law under its canons on the diocesan curia (cc. 469-494). the diocesan system was generally introduced in many countries whose churches had hitherto been under a more or less provisional government (e.g. united states, england, scotland, india).