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Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

Argentinian prelate Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández. / Credit: Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican to Publish New Document on Discerning Marian Apparitions, Other Supernatural Events Next Week

May 7, 2024

The Holy See Press Office announced that Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández will unveil new norms for discernment regarding “apparitions and other supernatural phenomena.”

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery on the Doctrine of the Faith, speaks during a press conference about a new Vatican document on human dignity on April 8, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

New Vatican Document Highlights Church’s "ever-greater understanding of human dignity"

Apr 9, 2024

Dignity “belongs to the person… simply because he or she exists and is willed, created, and loved by God,” the document explains.

Dome of St. Peter's basilica, Vatican City. | Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican Document on Human Dignity Condemns Gender Transition, Surrogacy, Abortion

Apr 8, 2024

The Vatican’s top doctrinal office issued a declaration on the theme of human dignity on Monday that addresses growing concerns such as gender theory, sex changes, surrogacy, and euthanasia in addition to abortion, poverty, human trafficking, and war.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, pictured here in 2014, took up his new post as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in September 2023. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican to Publish Document on "moral questions" Regarding Human Dignity, Gender, Surrogacy

Apr 2, 2024

The Holy See Press Office announced Tuesday that the new document, titled Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite Dignity”) (On Human Dignity), will debut April 8.

Archbishop Emeritus Héctor Aguer of La Plata, Argentina. | Credit: Argentine Episcopal Conference

Argentine Archbishop Criticizes Cardinals Who Back Fiducia Supplicans

Feb 5, 2024

Archbishop Emeritus Héctor Aguer of La Plata, Argentina, criticized two cardinals who expressed support for the Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans.

Diego Cervo/Shutterstock.

Vatican Doctrine Office Releases Note on Discerning the Validity of the sacraments

Feb 3, 2024

The new document signed by Pope Francis and Cardinal Victor Fernández is titled “Gestis Verbisque,” or “Deeds and Words.” 

Pope Francis meets with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. | Credit: Vatican Media

Africa a “special case”, Small Ideological Groups Oppose Same-sex Blessings: Pope Francis

Jan 29, 2024

Pope Francis suggested that the opposition to the Vatican’s approval of nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples mostly comes from “small ideological groups.”

Pope Francis meets with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: Blessings Don’t Require "moral perfection"

Jan 26, 2024

Pope Francis on Friday offered guidance to members of the Vatican’s doctrinal office for dealing with matters of faith.

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun departs the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Nov. 18, 2014. | Bohumil Petrik/CNA.

Fiducia Supplicans “creates confusion”, Doctrine Prefect Should Resign: Chinese Cardinal

Jan 25, 2024

In a statement published Jan. 23 on his blog, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said the declaration contains numerous passages in need of clarification.

Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Recently Resurfaced Sexually Explicit Book by Doctrine of Faith Prefect Prompts Concerns

Jan 18, 2024

Some Catholics have raised concerns over both the tone and theology of a recently resurfaced sexually explicit book written by Cardinal Víctor Fernández.

Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Rediscovered Book by Faith Prefect Features Erotic Passages on "spirituality, sensuality"

Jan 8, 2024

A 1998 book by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández featuring provocative, sexually-charged themes has resurfaced, likely adding further scrutiny to the already embattled prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office.

St. Peter's Dome. | Credit: dade72 via Shutterstock

Vatican Responds to Widespread Backlash on Same-sex Blessing Directive

Jan 4, 2024

The Vatican’s doctrine office issued a response on Thursday to “clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans” amid widespread international backlash to the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings.

Resistance to Same-sex Blessings Grows in Africa,But Bishops are Divided Globally

Jan 3, 2024

More than two weeks after the Vatican issued a declaration on blessings of same-sex couples, bishops remain divided over the controversial document.

St. Peter's Basilica. | Credit: vvo/Shutterstock

Vatican Says Priests Can Bless Same-sex Couples Without Condoning their Lifestyles

Dec 18, 2023

The Vatican has issued new guidance on the topic of blessings of same-sex attracted people, stating that Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples as an expression of pastoral closeness without condoning their sexual relations. 

Credit: Carlos Perez via Cathopic

Vatican Doctrine Office Encourages Single Mothers to Receive Communion after Confession

Dec 14, 2023

The Vatican’s doctrine office published a letter on Thursday confirming that single mothers can receive Communion after going to confession.

Cardinal-elect Víctor Manuel Fernández was appointed by Pope Francis on July 1, 2023, to become the next prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. | Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of La Plata

Vatican: Small Part of Cremated Ashes Can Be Kept in Personal Place in Certain Cases

Dec 12, 2023

The guidance came from a letter written by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who serves as the prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Statue of St. Peter in front of St. Peter's Basilica. | Credit: Vatican Media

Explainer: Why Can’t a Catholic Join the Freemasons?

Nov 17, 2023

The Vatican recently reaffirmed that active membership in Freemasonry by Catholics is not permissible.

Credit: dade72/Shutterstock

Vatican Doctrine Office Reaffirms that Catholics Cannot Be Freemasons

Nov 15, 2023

The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández was written in response to a bishop from the Philippines.

A baptismal font in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. | Bwag via Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Vatican Doctrine Office: Transgender-identifying People Can be Baptized, Witness Marriages

Nov 8, 2023

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the document in response to questions from a Brazilian bishop.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/ACI Prensa

"Not much new" Will Come out of this Year’s Synod, Vatican’s Doctrine Chief Predicts

Oct 1, 2023

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández predicts that “those who expect big changes” to come out of this month’s Synod of Bishops will be “disappointed.”