Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

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Basic data
Surname: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
(Congregatio pro doctrina fidei)
Seat: Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio
00120 Città del Vaticano
Cardinal Prefect : Luis Cardinal Ladaria SJ
(since 2017)
Secretary: Archbishop Giacomo Morandi
(since 2017)
Assistant Secretary: Archbishop Augustine Di Noia OP
(since 2013)
Archbishop Charles Scicluna (since 2018)
Undersecretary: Matteo Visioli
(since 2017)

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ( Latin Congregatio pro doctrina fidei , often short CDF called) is a central authority of the Roman Catholic Church . Its task is to promote religious and moral teaching throughout the Catholic Church and to protect it from heresies . This congregation was founded by Pope Paul III. founded with the Apostolic Constitution Licet ab initio of July 21, 1542 as Congregatio Romanae et universalis Inquisitionis (German "Congregation of the Roman and General Inquisition"). In the 20th century - in the period before the council - it was generally referred to as the Holy Office (Latin: Sanctum Officium ), after its new name from 1908.

history

Palazzo del Sant'Ufficio, Rome, seat of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia . She was founded by Pope Paul III. Founded on July 21, 1542 as Congregatio Romanae et universalis Inquisitionis . For this purpose, a competent college of six cardinals was appointed in the same year , who, as inquisitors general, were equipped with special rights, among other things, for the appointment of further inquisitors. The Roman Inquisition tried to prevent the advance of Protestantism into Italy. A separate index for forbidden books was created, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum . The most famous people condemned by the Roman Inquisition are Giordano Bruno (1600) and Galileo Galilei (1633). In 1798 the Papal States were annexed by Napoleon and the Roman Inquisition abolished. Although it was reinstated in 1814, it had a completely different character in the 19th century, as it no longer had any executive means, but was now limited to the power of the word. In 1908, Pope Pius X changed the name to Sacra Congregatio Sancti Officii (German: "Holy Congregation of the Holy Office") with the Apostolic Constitution Sapienti consilio .

Towards the end of the Second Vatican Council , Pope Paul VI ordered. with the Motu Proprio Integrae servandae of December 7, 1965, the tasks and structure of the congregation were re-established and given its current name. The first prefect was Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani from 1965 to 1968 , who had been secretary of the Holy Office since 1959; Up until this point in time, the Prefect of the Holy Office had always been the Pope himself. His successor was Cardinal Franjo Šeper , who held the office until 1981. From 1981 until the death of John Paul II in 2005, the congregation was led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger . After his election as Pope, Archbishop William Joseph Levada was his successor in the office of Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith until July 2, 2012. On the same date, Gerhard Ludwig Müller was appointed as the new prefect and was temporarily confirmed in office by Pope Francis on March 16, 2013 and permanently confirmed on September 21, 2013. Archbishop Luis Ladaria has been Prefect of the Congregation since the end of Müller's term of office on July 2, 2017.

According to article 48 of the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1988 , Pastor Bonus , the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has the task of "promoting and protecting the doctrine of the faith and morals throughout the Catholic Church."

structure

At the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is a cardinal prefect who is assisted by a secretary and an undersecretary.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is divided into four sections:

  • Doctrine of the Faith Section
  • Disciplinary Section
  • Marriage section
  • "Section Four" (For communities of the Usus antiquior )

Members

The congregation itself consists of 25 members, cardinals, archbishops and bishops, who are appointed by the Pope for five years each. Members of the congregation are currently:

Cardinals

Archbishops

Bishops

Consultor (selection)

Published letters (selection)

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith publishes official documents on current occasions; A distinction is made between documents on doctrine , documents on discipline and documents on sacramental questions. There is also the “Documenti e Studi” collection. The documents are again divided into different categories: Instructions , Teaching Notes, Answers to Inquiries, Notifications and General Letters.

Doctrine documents (excerpt)

See also: Donum vitae
See also: Dominus Iesus
See also: Dignitas personae

Documents on the discipline (excerpt)

  • General decree relating to the offense of attempted consecration of a woman (December 19, 2007)
  • Regulations for the teaching review (June 29, 1997)
  • Church's Judgment Unchanged (On Freemasonry ) (November 26, 1983)

Grand Inquisitors

Antonio Ghisleri, Grand Inquisitor 1558–1566

Secretaries of the Holy Office

Bust of Francesco Barberini, secretary to the Holy Office 1633–1679

Prefects

Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1981–2005

Until 1965 the Pope himself was Prefect of the Holy Office.

Secretaries of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Pastor Bonus , Apostolic Constitution of Pope John Paul II of June 28, 1988, Art. 48.
  2. Cf. Gerd Schwerhoff: The Inquisition: Persecution of Heretics in the Middle Ages and Modern Times ; Munich 2004, p. 98.
  3. ^ Dicasteries of the Roman Curia temporarily confirmed , Vatican Radio , March 16, 2013
  4. ^ Personnel changes in the Curia - Müller confirmed - New Nuncio in Berlin , Vatican Radio , September 21, 2013
  5. Text of the Apostolic Constitution ( PDF )
  6. ^ A b Nomina di Cardinali Membri dei Dicasteri della Curia Romana , in: Press Office of the Holy See: Daily Bulletin of May 6, 2006.
  7. Nomina di membro della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede , in: Holy See Press Office: Daily Bulletin of January 26, 2008.
  8. a b c d Nomina di Membri della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede , in: Press Office of the Holy See: Daily Bulletin of October 16, 2010.
  9. ^ A b Nomina di membro della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede , in: Press Office of the Holy See: Daily Bulletin of April 21, 2012.
  10. a b c Nomina di Cardinali Membri dei Dicasteri e degli Organismi della Curia Romana , in: Holy See Press Office: Daily Bulletin of April 21, 2012.
  11. ^ Nomina di Membro della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office , November 22, 2016, accessed November 22, 2016 (Italian).
  12. ^ Nomina di Membro della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, January 14, 2017, accessed January 14, 2017 (Italian).
  13. ^ Nomina di Membro della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, July 15, 2017, accessed July 15, 2017 (Italian).
  14. ^ A b Nomina di membri della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede , in: Holy See Press Office: Daily Bulletin of September 22, 2009.
  15. ^ Nomina di membro della Congregazion per la Dottrina della Fede , in: Press Office of the Holy See: Daily Bulletin of December 1, 2012.
  16. ^ Nomina di Membri della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. In: Daily Bulletin . Holy See Press Office, May 28, 2014, accessed June 2, 2014 (Italian).
  17. a b c For the first time women also watch over the doctrine of the faith. Catholic.de, April 23, 2018, accessed July 18, 2018 .
  18. ↑ Collection of documents on sacred issues
  19. Collana “Documenti e Studi”
  20. Inter insigniores in the German translation on the homepage of the Holy See
  21. German: [1]
  22. ^ Text of the declaration
  23. ^ Text of the General Decree
  24. Text of the Order
  25. ^ Wording of the judgment

Web links

Coordinates: 41 ° 54 ′ 3.6 ″  N , 12 ° 27 ′ 22.5 ″  E