Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

A department of the Roman Curia responsible for promoting and safeguarding Catholic doctrine. In 2022, it was renamed the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Doctrinal examination: An ecclesiastical review of writings or teachings for consistency with Catholic doctrine. The congregation assessed works and propositions that raised questions of doctrinal conformity.
Roman Inquisition: A Catholic tribunal established in 1542 to combat heresy and oversee doctrinal discipline. The congregation developed from this earlier institution, founded under a different historical mandate.
Joseph Ratzinger: German theologian who served as prefect of the congregation from 1981 until his election as pope in 2005. As prefect, he became closely associated with its doctrinal work during John Paul II’s pontificate.
Dicastery for Evangelization: A Roman Curia department responsible for evangelization and the Church’s missionary activity. Unlike this dicastery’s broad missionary remit, the congregation focused on doctrine and related discipline.
Dominus Iesus: A 2000 declaration by the congregation on the uniqueness and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church. It illustrates the congregation’s role in clarifying contested questions about religious pluralism.
Notification of doctrinal errors: A formal notice identifying errors in a publication or teaching and requesting correction or clarification. This procedure let the congregation address disputed claims without immediately imposing a penalty.
Paul III: Pope from 1534 to 1549 whose pontificate included the creation of the Roman Inquisition. He established the institution that became the congregation in 1542.
Luis Ladaria Ferrer: Spanish Jesuit theologian who served as prefect of the congregation from 2017 to 2023. His tenure bridged the congregation’s transition to a dicastery under the 2022 Curial reform.
Dicastery for Legislative Texts: A Roman Curia department that interprets and promotes the Church’s canon law. It addressed legal texts, while the congregation’s central remit was doctrinal integrity.
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis: A 1994 apostolic letter in which John Paul II stated that the Church lacks authority to confer priestly ordination on women. The congregation later addressed how Catholics should understand the teaching’s definitive status.

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