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Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible for promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine.[1]

"The Holy Office" redirects here. For the 1974 Mexican film, see The Holy Office (film).

Dicastery overview

July 21, 1542 (1542-07-21)

  • Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition
  • Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office
  • Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Dicastery

Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio,
Rome, Italy

This institution was founded by Pope Paul III on 21 July 1542, as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition.[a] It was then renamed in 1908 as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. In 1965, it became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF; Latin: Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei). Since 2022, it is named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.[b] It is still informally known as the Holy Office (Latin: Sanctum Officium) in many Catholic countries.[2] The sole objective of the dicastery is to "spread sound Catholic doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines."[1]


Its headquarters are at the Palace of the Holy Office, just outside Vatican City. The congregation employs an advisory board including cardinals, bishops, priests, lay theologians, and canon lawyers. On 1 July 2023, Francis named Argentine archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández as prefect, who took possession of the office in mid-September.[3]

Organization[edit]

Until 1968, the pope held the title of prefect and appointed a cardinal to preside over the meetings, first as Secretary, then as Pro-Prefect.


Since 1968, the Cardinal head of the dicastery has borne the title of Prefect and the title of Secretary refers to the second highest-ranking officer of the Congregation. As of 2012 the Congregation had a membership of 18 cardinals and a smaller number of non-cardinal bishops, a staff of 38 (clerical and lay) and 26 consultors.[22]


The work of the CDF is divided into two sections, the doctrinal and the disciplinary. The CDF holds biennial plenary assemblies, and issues documents on doctrinal, disciplinary, and sacramental questions that occasionally include notifications concerning writings by Catholic theologians.[23]

On May 18, 2024, the Dicastery Prefect published a 2024 text signed by Pope Francis which replaced the 1978 Normae Congregationis rulings. It sets new norms and guidelines for Catholic bishops in discerning claims of private revelation such as Marian apparitions. Fernández enumerated six possible conclusions for alleged supernatural phenomena discernment.[24][25][26]

Víctor Manuel Fernández

, promulgated April 8, 2024: condemns war, poverty, racism, sex reassignment, abortion, euthanasia, gender theory, surrogacy, discrimination against migrants and discrimination against homosexuals.[27]

Dignitas Infinita

, promulgated 18 December 2023: establishes a series of clarifications and reforms on the so-called "irregular relationships." Namely, those who establish a monogamous and emotional bond that lasts over time and who have not contracted marriage without making any changes to the marriage institution as being between a man and a woman.[28][29]

Fiducia supplicans

of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith affirming that a transgender person can receive baptism, and that transgender people, as well as "cohabiting homosexuals", can be godparents and witnesses of matrimony even after undergoing hormone treatment and sex-reassignment surgery. Furthermore, the child of a homosexual couple can be baptized provided that there is a "founded hope" that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion (31 October 2023).[30]

Responsum

" of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a dubium regarding the blessing of the unions of persons of the same sex," wherein the Church reaffirmed the view that "Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex" (15 March 2021).[31][32][33]

Responsum

Cardinal Prefect of Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

His Eminence

Roman Curia

The Pope

The Pope

Five years, renewable

Licet ab initio
Pastor bonus
Praedicate evangelium

21 July 1542

Antonio Michele Ghislieri

(7 December 1965 – 29 June 1967)

Pietro Parente

O.P. (29 June 1967 – 6 March 1973)

Paul-Pierre Philippe

O.P. (14 June 1973 – 8 April 1984)

Jean Jérôme Hamer

(5 April 1984 – 13 June 1995)

Alberto Bovone

S.D.B. (13 June 1995 – 10 December 2002)

Tarcisio Bertone

S.D.B. (19 December 2002 – 9 July 2008)

Angelo Amato

S.J. (9 July 2008 – 2 July 2017)

Luis Ladaria Ferrer

(18 July 2017[51] – 10 January 2022)[52]

Giacomo Morandi

John Joseph Kennedy (Disciplinary Section) and Armando Matteo (Doctrinal Section)[53] (23 April 2022 – present)

[53]

Cardinal-Prefect:

Víctor Manuel Fernández

Secretary for Discipline: John Joseph Kennedy

Secretary for Doctrine:

Armando Matteo

Adjunct Secretary: Archbishop , O.P.

Joseph Augustine Di Noia

Adjunct Secretary: Archbishop [54]

Charles Scicluna

Undersecretary: Fr. Matteo Visioli[56]

[55]

Undersecretary: Fr. Philippe Curbelié

[57]

Promoter of Justice: Fr. Robert J. Geisinger [58]

S.J.

27 members

28 Consultors (religious superiors and )

canon lawyers

Staff of 33 lay

theologians

Inquisition

Index Librorum Prohibitorum

Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

a Mormon organization which serves a similar role

Strengthening Church Members Committee

Official website

41°54′04″N 12°27′22″E / 41.90111°N 12.45611°E / 41.90111; 12.45611