The
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (,
CDF) is the oldest among the nine
congregations of the
Roman Curia. It was founded to defend the church from
heresy; today, it is the body responsible for promulgating and defending
Catholic doctrine. Formerly known as the
Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition, it is informally known in many
Catholic countries as the
Holy Office and between 1904 and 1965 was officially known as the
Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office.