Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF)
1542-

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is the 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 Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio in Rome, just outside Vatican City. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible for promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine.

This institution was founded by Pope Paul III 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.

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