The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the

Roman Curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...

in charge of the religious discipline of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the

. Its seat is the

Palace of the Holy Office The Palace of the Holy Office () is a building in Rome which is an extraterritorial property of the Holy See. It houses the Holy Office of the Roman Catholic Church. The palace is situated south of Saint Peter's Basilica near the ''Petrine G ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, just outside

Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...

. It was founded to defend the

from

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

and is the body responsible for promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine. This institution was founded by

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

on 21 July 1542, as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition. 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; ). Since 2022, it is named ''Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith''. 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)."Richard P. McBrien. ''The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism.'' (New York: Harp ...

. 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." The congregation employs an

advisory board An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to the ...

including

cardinals Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

bishops A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, ...

, lay

theologians Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

, and

canon lawyer Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

s. On 1 July 2023,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

named Argentine archbishop

Víctor Manuel Fernández Víctor Manuel "Tucho" Fernández (born 18 July 1962) is an Argentine prelate of the Catholic Church and a theologian. He is currently the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. He served as rector of the Pontifical Catholic Univ ...

as prefect, who took possession of the office in mid-September.

History

On 21 July 1542,

proclaimed the

Apostolic Constitution An apostolic constitution () is the most solemn form of legislation issued by the Pope.New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, pg. 57, footnote 36. By their nature, apostolic constitutions are addressed to the public. Generic constitutions use ...

''Licet ab initio'', establishing the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal

Inquisition The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...

, staffed by

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

s and other officials whose task it was "to maintain and defend the integrity of the

faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines." It served as the

final court of appeal In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

in trials of

and served as an important part of the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

. This body was renamed the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in 1908 by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

. In many

, the body is often informally called the Holy Office (e.g., and ). 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 and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

. 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. In 2022, the name was changed to ''Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith''. On September 23, 2024, Pope Francis appointed 28 Italian new consultors of the dicastery.

Timeline

Role

According to the 1988

on the Roman Curia, '' Pastor bonus'', 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 , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

and against the sanctity of the Sacrament of Penance, and crimes against the sixth Commandment ("Thou shalt 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, (Latin for 'on his own impulse') describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a document issued by the pope on h ...

'' of 2001, come under the competency of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In effect, it is the "promoter of justice" that 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 Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Its m ...

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 the ...

. The Prefect of the DDF is ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...

'' 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 i ...

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 is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

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 ) is the name of some departments in the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest C ...

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. The disciplinary section has responsibility for dealing with credible allegations against clergy. Archbishop Kennedy leads a staff of 16 full-time officials. On his appointment as prefect, Cardinal Fernández was instructed to focus on the Dicastery's doctrinal work and leave the disciplinary section alone.

Recent canonical judgments and publications

The following is a non-exhaustive list of recent documents and judgments issued by the DDF. Lengthy DDF 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

* On May 18, 2024, the Dicastery Prefect

published a 2024 text signed by

which replaced the 1978 ''

Normae Congregationis Norma is a small constellation in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere between Ara and Lupus, one of twelve drawn up in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and one of several depicting scientific instruments. Its ...

'' rulings. It sets new norms and guidelines for Catholic bishops in discerning claims of

private revelation In Christian theology, a private revelation is an instance of revelation, in a broader sense of the term, of divine reality to a person or persons. It contrasts with revelation intended for humanity at large, which is sometimes termed public reve ...

such as

Marian apparition A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance of Mary, the mother of Jesus. While sometimes described as a type of vision, apparitions are generally regarded as external manifestations, whereas visions are more often understood as ...

s. Fernández enumerated six possible conclusions for alleged supernatural phenomena discernment. * ''

Dignitas Infinita ' ("Infinite Dignity") is a 2024 declaration on Catholic doctrine that outlines the importance of human dignity, explains its connection to God, and condemns a variety of current violations of human dignity, including human rights violations, dis ...

'', promulgated April 8, 2024: condemns

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

, sex reassignment,

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...

gender theory Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field n ...

surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child's legal parents after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, danger ...

, discrimination against migrants and discrimination against homosexuals. * ''

Fiducia supplicans ("Supplicating Trust") is a 2023 declaration on Catholic doctrine that allows Catholic priests to bless couples who are not married according to church teaching, including same-sex couples. Subtitled "On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings", th ...

'', promulgated 18 December 2023: establishes a series of clarifications and reforms on the so-called "irregular relationships." Namely, those who establish a

monogamous Monogamy ( ) is a relationship of two individuals in which they form a mutual and exclusive intimate partnership. Having only one partner at any one time, whether for life or serial monogamy, contrasts with various forms of non-monogamy (e.g. ...

and emotional bond that lasts over time and who have not contracted

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

without making any changes to the marriage institution as being between a man and a woman. *

Responsum ''Responsa'' (plural of Latin , 'answer') comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. In the modern era, the term is used to describe decisions and rulings made by scholars i ...

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 Within Christianity, a godparent or sponsor is someone who bears witness to a child's baptism (christening) and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelong spiritual formation. In both religious and civil views, ...

and witnesses of matrimony even after undergoing

hormone treatment Hormone therapy or hormonal therapy is the use of hormones in medical treatment. Treatment with hormone antagonists may also be referred to as hormonal therapy or antihormone therapy. The most general classes of hormone therapy are oncologic horm ...

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). * "

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 Anthony "Tony" Flannery, CSsR (born January 1947) is an Irish Catholic religious writer and a suspended Redemptorist priest. He is the founder of the Irish Association of Catholic Priests. For 14 years, he has been writing a monthly article f ...

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

* (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. * 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 admi ...

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 West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of Evangelical counsels, poverty, chastity, and obedience in the Enclosed religious orders, enclosure of a monastery or convent.' ...

were

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

for

(the first in the diocese's 165-year history). They refused to

recant Recantation is a public denial of a previously publishing, published opinion or belief. The word is derived from the Latin ''re cantare'' ("sing again"). It is related to repentance and revocation. Philosophy In philosophy, recantation is link ...

the

doctrines Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. The etymolo ...

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 i ...

( Army of Mary). The nuns are members of the Good Shepherd Monastery of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge in

Hot Springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

. Sister Mary Theresa Dionne, 82, one of the six, said they will still live at the

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

property, which they own. The

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...

believes that its 86-year-old founder, Marie Paule Giguere, is the

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...

of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. * 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 legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

and

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 27 December 1938) is a Spanish 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 Doc ...

, 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. His experiences with censorship have led to widespread debate over how to handle controversial ideas in the Catholic c ...

, 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 Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Cologne from 1989 to 2014. He previously served as Bishop of Berlin from 1980 to 1989, and was created a cardinal in 1983. He was wid ...

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. Biogra ...

; 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 Antonio Francesco Davide Ambrogio Rosmini-Serbati, IC (; 25 March 17971 July 1855) was an Italian Catholic priest and philosopher. He founded the Rosminians, officially the Institute of Charity, and pioneered the concept of social justice an ...

" (1 July 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) * (Declaration on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church; with comments from Congregation officials; 6 August 2000) * "Notification regarding Sister

Jeannine Gramick Jeannine Gramick, SL ( ; born 1942) is an American Catholic religious sister and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. She is also a co-founder of New Ways Ministry. In 2021, Pope Francis addressed two letters to New Way ...

, 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) * "Notification concerning the writings of the Reverend Father Anthony De Mello, 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 Balasur ...

, OMI" (2 January 1997) * "Notification on the writings and activities of Mrs. Vassula Ryden" (6 October 1995) * "Decree on the doctrine and customs of the Association " (6 June 1992)

1981–1990

* (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 (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 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

'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) * '' Donum vitae'' (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 Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

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 Belgium, Belgian Catholic Church, Catholic theologian born in Antwerp. He taught at the Radboud University Nijmegen, Catholic University in Nijmegen ...

, OP" (15 September 1986) * "Letter to

György Bulányi György P. Bulányi (Budapest, 9 January 1919 – Budapest, June 6, 2010) was a Piarist priest, teacher, and leader of the Bokor Catholic youth discipleship movements in Croatia and Hungary which faced strong suppression from the Hungarian com ...

on certain writings attributed to him" (1 September 1986) * "Notification on the book ''Church: Charism and Power: Essay on Militant Ecclesiology'' by

Leonardo Boff Leonardo Boff (; born Genézio Darci Boff, ; 14 December 1938) is a Brazilian Catholic theologian, philosopher writer, and former Catholic priest known for his active support for Latin American liberation theology. He is professor emeritus o ...

, OFM" (11 March 1985)

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 Paul-Pierre Philippe (16 April 1905 – 9 April 1984) O.P. was a Cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Catholic Church. Early life He joined the Dominican Order in Paris in 1926 and was ordained ...

, 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 City, Vatican diplomat. A Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal since 2003, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as S ...

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

Angelo Amato Angelo Amato, Salesians of Don Bosco, S.D.B. (8 June 1938 – 31 December 2024) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints between 2008 and 20 ...

, 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 International ...

, S.J. (9 July 2008 – 2 July 2017) * Giacomo Morandi (18 July 2017 – 10 January 2022) *Archbishop

John Joseph Kennedy John Joseph Kennedy (born 15 July 1968) is an Irish Catholic prelate who has served as Secretary for Discipline at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith since 2022. Previously, he served as Head of Office at the DDF. Biography Kennedy ...

, (Disciplinary Section) and Armando Matteo (Doctrinal Section) (23 April 2022 – present)

Present composition

* Cardinal-Prefect:

* Secretary for Discipline: Archbishop

* Secretary for Doctrine: Armando Matteo * Adjunct Secretary: Archbishop

Joseph Augustine Di Noia Joseph Augustine Di Noia (born July 10, 1943) is an American member of the Dominican Order who is a Roman Catholic archbishop and theologian. Since 2013 he has been adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He has h ...

, O.P. * Adjunct Secretary: Archbishop

Charles Scicluna Charles Jude Scicluna (born 15 May 1959) is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Archbishop of Malta since 2015. Both as a curial official and since becoming a bishop, he has conducted investigations into sexual a ...

* Undersecretary: Fr. Matteo Visioli * Undersecretary: Archbishop Philippe Curbelié * Promoter of Justice: Fr. Robert J. Geisinger S.J. * 27 members * 28 Consultors (religious superiors and

s) * Staff of 33 lay

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

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