HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the
Palace of the Holy Office The Palace of the Holy Office ( it, Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio) is a building in Rome which is an extraterritorial property of Vatican City. It houses the Holy Office of the Roman Catholic Church. The palace is situated south of Saint Peter's Ba ...
in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. It was founded to defend the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
from
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
and is the body responsible for promulgating and defending
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
doctrine. Formerly known as the ''Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition''; (1908 — 1965) the ''Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office''; and then until June 2022 the ''Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith'' (''CDF''; la, Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei). It is still informally known as the Holy Office in many
Catholic countries The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the ...
. ( la, Sanctum Officium) Founded by Pope Paul III in 1542, the sole objective of the dicastery is to "spread sound
Catholic doctrine Catholic doctrine may refer to: * Catholic theology ** Catholic moral theology ** Catholic Mariology *Heresy in the Catholic Church * Catholic social teaching * Catholic liturgy *Catholic Church and homosexuality The Catholic Church broadly ...
and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines." Its headquarters are at the
Palace of the Holy Office The Palace of the Holy Office ( it, Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio) is a building in Rome which is an extraterritorial property of Vatican City. It houses the Holy Office of the Roman Catholic Church. The palace is situated south of Saint Peter's Ba ...
, just outside
Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...
. The congregation employs an advisory board including
cardinals Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, bishops, priests, lay
theologians Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...
, and
canon lawyer Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is t ...
s. The current
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
is Cardinal
Luis Ladaria Ferrer Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer (born 19 April 1944) is a Spanish Jesuit, theologian and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. After a thirty-year career teaching theology, he joined the Roman Curia in 2004 as Secretary-General of the Internation ...
, who was appointed by
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
for a five-year term since 1 July 2017.


History

On 21 July 1542, Pope Paul III proclaimed the Apostolic Constitution ''Licet ab initio'', establishing the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal
Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
, staffed by cardinals and other officials whose task it was "to maintain and defend the integrity of the
faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...
and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines." It served as the final court of appeal in trials of heresy and served as an important part of the Counter-Reformation. This body was renamed the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in 1908 by Pope Pius X. In many
Catholic countries The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the ...
, the body is often informally called the Holy Office (e.g., it, Sant'Uffizio and es, Santo Oficio). The congregation's name was changed to Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (SCDF) on 7 December 1965, at the end of the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
. Soon after the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' came into effect, the adjective "sacred" was dropped from the names of all Curial Congregations, and so it became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.


Timeline


Role

According to the 1988 Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, ''
Pastor bonus ''Pastor bonus'' (Latin: "The Good Shepherd") is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988. It instituted a number of reforms in the process of running the central government of the Catholic Church. The docume ...
'', article 48, promulgated by John Paul II: "The proper duty of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to promote and safeguard the doctrine on faith and morals in the whole Catholic world; so it has competence in things that touch this matter in any way." This includes investigations into grave delicts, i.e., acts which the Catholic Church considers as being the most serious crimes: crimes against the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
and against the sanctity of the Sacrament of Penance, and crimes against the sixth Commandment ("Thou shall not commit adultery.") committed by a cleric against a person under the age of eighteen. These crimes, in ''Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela'' a ''
motu proprio In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term ''sua sponte'' for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a ...
'' of 2001, come under the competency of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In effect, it is the "promoter of justice" which deals with, among other things, the question of priests accused of paedophilia. Within the DDF are the
International Theological Commission The International Theological Commission (ITC) is a body of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church; it advises the magisterium of the church, particularly the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Its mem ...
and the
Pontifical Biblical Commission The Pontifical Biblical Commission () is a pontifical commission established within the Roman Curia to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of the Bible. Since 1988, it has been closely attached to the Congregation for the Doctrine of t ...
. The Prefect of the DDF is '' ex officio'' president of these commissions. On 7 December 2021, Pope Francis
promulgated Promulgation is the formal proclamation or the declaration that a new statutory or administrative law is enacted after its final approval. In some jurisdictions, this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect. After a new law ...
a new version of the "Norms on the Delicts Reserved to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith"; the original version had been first promulgated in 2001 by John Paul II and amended in 2010 by Benedict XVI. The changes of the new version concern "harmonising the norms with the revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, which was promulgated in May 2021" and adding "numerous normative measures of various kinds issued in previous years, especially since 2016."


Organization

Until 1968, the
pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
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 A dicastery (from gr, δικαστήριον, dikastērion, law-court, from δικαστής, 'judge, juror') is the name of some departments of the Roman Curia. ''Pastor bonus'' ''Pastor bonus'' (1988), includes this definition: ''Praed ...
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. 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.


Recent canonical judgments and publications

The following is a list of recent documents and judgments issued by the CDF. Lengthy CDF documents usually have Latin titles. A short document that briefly states objections to one or more writings by a Catholic theologian is typically called a "notification".


2021–present

" of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a 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).


2011–2020

* Redemptorist Fr. Tony Flannery is required to sign four fidelity oaths or not return to ministry (1 October 2020). * "Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious" (re-affirmed by Pope Francis on 15 April 2013)


2001–2010

* "Note on the banalization of sexuality, Regarding certain interpretations of ''Light of the World''" (22 December 2010) * "Circular Letter to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences regarding the association " (2 October 2010) * (on bioethical questions, with summary and press conference transcript; 8 September 2008) * On 5 April 2008, as a result of "grave reservations" by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith about the Mormon practice of posthumous rebaptism, Catholic dioceses throughout the world were directed not to give information in parish registers to the Mormons' Genealogical Society of Utah for microfilming or digitizing. * "Doctrinal Note on Some Aspects of Evangelization" (with press conference transcript; 3 December 2007) * On 28 September 2007, Gaston Hebert, the then
apostolic administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...
of the Diocese of Little Rock, stated that (per the 11 July Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) six
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
nuns were
excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
for heresy (the first in the diocese's 165-year history). They refused to
recant Recantation means a personal public act of denial of a previously published opinion or belief. It is derived from the Latin "''re cantare''", to re-sing. Philosophy Philosophically recantation is linked to a genuine change of opinion, ofte ...
the doctrines of the
Community of the Lady of All Nations The Community of the Lady of All Nations, also known as the Community of the Lady of All Peoples or the Army of Mary, is a Marian sect that has been condemned as heretical by the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1971 by Marie-Paule Giguère in ...
( Army of Mary). The nuns are members of the Good Shepherd Monastery of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge in Hot Springs. Sister Mary Theresa Dionne, 82, one of the six, said they will still live at the
convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
property, which they own. The
sect A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group. Although the term was originally a classification for religious separated groups, it can now refer to any organization that ...
believes that its 86-year-old founder, Marie Paule Giguere, is the
reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is ...
of the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
. * "Responses to Certain Questions of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Concerning Artificial Nutrition and Hydration" (with commentary; 1 August 2007) * "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church" (29 June 2007) * In an April 2007 address to chaplains, Archbishop Amato denounced
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
and
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
and criticized the Italian media's coverage of them, saying that they are evils "that remain almost invisible" due to media presentation of them as "expression of human progress". * "Notification on the works of the Reverend Father
Jon Sobrino Jon Sobrino (born 1938) is a Jesuit Catholic priest and theologian, known mostly for his contributions to Latin American liberation theology. He received worldwide attention in 2007 when the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith i ...
, SJ" (with an explanatory note; 26 November 2006) * "Notification regarding the book ''Jesus Symbol of God'' of the Reverend Father
Roger Haight Roger Haight (born 1936) is an American Jesuit theologian and former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America. He is regarded as a knowledgeable and pioneering theologian, whose experiences with censorship have led to widespread de ...
, SJ" * "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the collaboration of men and women in the Church and in the world" (31 May 2004) * "Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life" (with two commentaries from Cardinals
Joachim Meisner Joachim Meisner (25 December 1933 – 5 July 2017) was a German cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the immediate past Archbishop of Cologne, serving from 1989 until his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis in 2014. He previously serve ...
and
Giacomo Biffi Giacomo Biffi (13 June 1928 – 11 July 2015) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop Emeritus of Bologna, having served as archbishop there from 1984 to 2003. he was elevated to the cardinalate in 1985. Biograp ...
; 24 November 2002) * " Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons" (3 June 2003) * "Note on the Force of the Doctrinal Decrees Concerning the Thought and Work of the Reverend Father Antonio Rosmini Serbati" (1 July 2001) * "Notification regarding certain writings of the Reverend Father Marciano Vidal, CSSR" (with comments; 22 February 2001) * "Notification on the book ''Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism'' by the Reverend Father Jacques Dupuis, SJ" (with commentary; 24 January 2001)


1991–2000

* "Notification concerning some writings of Professor Dr. (30 November 2000) * (instructions on prayers for healing; 14 September 2000) * (Declaration on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church; with comments from Congregation officials; 6 August 2000) * "Note on the expression 'sister churches (30 June 2000) * "Documents regarding 'The Message of Fatima (26 June 2000) * "Notification regarding Sister Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and the Reverend Father Robert Nugent, SDS" * "Considerations on The Primacy of the Successor of Peter in the mystery of the Church" (31 October 1998) * "Formula to be used for the profession of faith and for the oath of fidelity to assume an office to be exercised in the name of the Church" (with an "Illustrative doctrinal note" by Cardinal Ratzinger and Archbishop Bertone) (29 June 1998) * "Notification concerning the writings of the Reverend Father
Anthony De Mello Anthony de Mello, also known as Tony de Mello (4 September 1931 – 2 June 1987), was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer, and public speaker, de Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted nu ...
, SJ" (24 June 1998) * "Notification concerning the text ''Mary and Human Liberation'' by the Reverend Father
Tissa Balasuriya Tissa Balasuriya ( Sinhala: තිස්ස බාලසූරිය) (August 29, 1924 – January 17, 2013) was a Sri Lankan Roman Catholic priest and theologian. He was educated at St Patrick's College, Jaffna. Theological work In 1971 Balasuri ...
, OMI" (2 January 1997) * "Notification on the writings and activities of Mrs. Vassula Ryden" (6 October 1995) * "Responses to questions proposed concerning uterine isolation and related matters" (31 July 1993) * "Some considerations concerning the response to legislative proposals on the non-discrimination of homosexual persons" (23 July 1992) * "Decree on the doctrine and customs of the Association " (6 June 1992) * (Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of the Church understood as Communion; 28 May 1992) * "Instruction on some aspects of the use of the instruments of social communication in promoting the doctrine of the faith" (30 March 1992) * "Note on the book ''The Sexual Creators, An Ethical proposal for Concerned Christians'' (University Press of America, Lanham, New York, London 1986), by the Reverend Father André Guindon, OMI" (31 January 1992)


1981–1990

* (Instruction on the ecclesial vocation of the theologian; 24 May 1990) * (Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of Christian meditation; 15 October 1989) * "Note regarding the moral rule of (
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...
's encyclical, On the Regulation and Control of Human Birth) and the pastoral duty" (16 February 1989) * "Observation of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) II's ''Salvation and the Church''" (18 November 1988) * "Formula to be used for the profession of faith and for the oath of fidelity to assume an office to be exercised in the name of the Church" (1 July 1988) * (Instruction on respect for life in its origin and on the dignity of procreation; 22 February 1987) * (Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons; 1 October 1986) * "Notification on the book (Nelissen, Baarn 1985) by the Reverend Father Professor
Edward Schillebeeckx Edward Cornelis Florentius Alfonsus Schillebeeckx (November 12, 1914–December 23, 2009) was a Belgian Catholic theologian born in Antwerp. He taught at the Catholic University in Nijmegen. He was a member of the Dominican Order. His books on ...
, OP" (15 September 1986) * "Letter to György Bulányi on certain writings attributed to him" (1 September 1986) * "Letter regarding the suspension of the Reverend Father Professor Charles Curran from the teaching of theology" (25 July 1986) * (Instruction on human freedom and liberation; 22 March 1986) * "Notification on the book ''Church: Charism and Power: Essay on Militant Ecclesiology'' by Leonardo Boff, OFM" (11 March 1985)


1975–1980

* (on some questions of
eschatology Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...
) (17 May 1979) * (Declaration as to the question of admitting women to priesthood; 15 October 1975)


Leadership


Secretaries until 1965

When the Supreme Sacred Congregation for the Roman and Universal Inquisition was first established in 1542, it was composed of several Cardinal Inquisitors styled as "Inquisitors-General", who were formally equal to each other, even if some of them were clearly dominant (e.g. Cardinal Gian Pietro Carafa from 1542, who was elected Pope Paul IV in 1555). Until 1968 the Pope himself presided over the Congregation. However, from 1564 the daily administration of the affairs of the Congregation was entrusted to the Cardinal Secretary. This model was retained when the Inquisition was formally renamed as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in 1908. Unless stated otherwise, the term of office ended with the officeholder's death.


Prefects since 1965

When Pope Paul VI changed the name of the dicastery on 7 December 1965, he changed the title of the cardinal in charge of the daily administration of the Congregation from Secretary to Pro-Prefect. He continued to reserve the title of Prefect to himself until 1968 when he relinquished his role as head of the Congregation and named a ''Prefect''. Revised 2005


Secretaries since 1965

With the December 1965 reorganization of the Holy Office as the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the head of the Congregation was no longer titled Secretary. The dicastery's second-in-command, until then titled assessor, was then given the title of Secretary, as was already the case with the other Roman Congregations. All but the most recent have been made archbishops upon their appointment. The following have held the title of Secretary: *
Pietro Parente Pietro Parente (16 February 1891 in Casalnuovo Monterotaro, Italy – 29 December 1986 in Vatican City) was a long-serving theologian in the Holy Office of the Roman Catholic Church, and was made a cardinal on 26 June 1967. At his peak he ...
(7 December 1965 – 29 June 1967) * Paul-Pierre Philippe, O.P. (29 June 1967 – 6 March 1973) * Jean Jérôme Hamer, O.P. (14 June 1973 – 8 April 1984) * Alberto Bovone (5 April 1984 – 13 June 1995) *
Tarcisio Bertone Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone (born 2 December 1934) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and a Vatican diplomat. A cardinal, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine o ...
, S.D.B. (13 June 1995 – 10 December 2002) *
Angelo Amato Angelo Amato, S.D.B. (born 8 June 1938) is an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints between 2008 and 2018. He served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of ...
, S.D.B. (19 December 2002 – 9 July 2008) *
Luis Ladaria Ferrer Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer (born 19 April 1944) is a Spanish Jesuit, theologian and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. After a thirty-year career teaching theology, he joined the Roman Curia in 2004 as Secretary-General of the Internation ...
, S.J. (9 July 2008 – 2 July 2017) *
Giacomo Morandi Giacomo Morandi (born 24 August 1965) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been named bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla. He served as the undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2015 to 2017 and ...
(18 July 2017 – 10 January 2022) *John Joseph Kennedy (Disciplinary Section) and Armando Matteo (Doctrinal Section) (23 April 2022 – present)


Present composition

*
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
: Cardinal
Luis Ladaria Ferrer Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer (born 19 April 1944) is a Spanish Jesuit, theologian and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. After a thirty-year career teaching theology, he joined the Roman Curia in 2004 as Secretary-General of the Internation ...
, S.J. * Secretary for Discipline: John Joseph Kennedy * Secretary for Doctrine: Armando Matteo * Adjunct Secretary: Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia, O.P. * Adjunct Secretary: Archbishop Charles Scicluna * Undersecretary: Fr. Matteo Visioli * Undersecretary: Fr. Philippe Curbelié * Promoter of Justice: Fr. Robert J. Geisinger S.J. * 27 members * 28 Consultors (religious superiors and
canon lawyer Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is t ...
s) * Staff of 33 lay
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
s


See also

*
Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
* '' Index Librorum Prohibitorum'' *
Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (ACDF), commonly referred to as the Archive of the Inquisition (or more fully the Archive of the Inquisition and Index), contains the Catholic Church's documents dealing with doctrinal ...
* Strengthening Church Members Committee, a Mormon organization which serves a similar role


Notes


References


External links

*
Index of recent documents on doctrine




{{DEFAULTSORT:Dicastery For The Doctrine Of The Faith 1542 establishments in the Papal States Catholic organizations established in the 16th century Religious organizations established in the 1540s