The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) was formerly known as the Congregation of the Holy Office or the Roman Inquisition.
In 1542 Pope Paul III established a permanent congregation staffed with cardinalss and other officials whose task it was to maintain and defend the integrity of the faith and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines. This body, the Congregation of the Holy Office, now called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, part of the Roman Curia, has become the supervisory body of local Roman Inquisitions.
The Pope himself held the title of prefect until 1968 but never exercised this office. Instead, he appointed one of the cardinals to preside over the meetings, first as Secretary, then as Pro-Prefect, but since 1968 the Cardinal head of the dicastery has borne the title of full Prefect. There are usually ten other cardinals on the Congregation, as well as a prelate and two assistants, all chosen from the Dominican order.
In 2003, the CDF came out against so-called "gay marriage". [1]
See: Joseph Ratzinger
