The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is constituted by a College of Members (Cardinals and Bishops), at the head of which is the Prefect. The Prefect is assisted by two Secretaries, the Undersecretary and also the Promotor of Justice. The Dicastery’s staff is composed of Officials who, under the coordination of the Heads of the respective Offices, attend to various questions to be followed on the basis of their competence and requirements of the Dicastery. The Dicastery comprises two Sections, Doctrinal and Disciplinary, each coordinated by a Secretary who assists the Prefect in the specific area of his competence, with the collaboration of the Under-Secretary and the respective Heads of Office.
The Doctrinal Section deals with matters pertaining to the promotion and protection of the doctrine of faith and morals. It also encourages studies aimed at increasing the understanding and transmission of the faith in the service of evangelization, so that its light may be a criterion for understanding the meaning of existence, especially in the face of the questions posed by the progress of the sciences and the development of society.
With regard to faith and morals, the Section arranges for the examination of documents to be published by other Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, as well as writings and opinions which appear problematic for the correct faith, encouraging dialogue with their authors and proposing suitable remedies, in accordance with the norms of Regulations For Doctrinal Examination.
This Section is entrusted with the task of studying questions relating to the Personal Ordinariates established by the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus.
Also belonging to the Doctrinal Section is the Matrimonial Office, which has been set up to examine, both in law and in fact, matters concerning the privilegium fidei.
The Disciplinary Section deals with offences reserved to the Dicastery and dealt with by it through the jurisdiction of the Supreme Apostolic Tribunal established there. Its task is to prepare and elaborate the procedures provided for by canonical norms so that the Dicastery, in its various instances (Prefect, Secretary, Promoter of Justice, Congress, Ordinary Session, College for the examination of appeals in matters of delicta graviora), may promote a correct administration of justice.
To this end, the Section promotes appropriate training initiatives offered by the Dicastery to Ordinaries and legal practitioners, in order to foster a correct understanding and application of the canonical norms relating to its own sphere of competence.
For its studies, the Dicastery is assisted by a group of Consultors. The meetings of the Consultors generally are held periodically. The matters treated and the opinions of the Consultors therefore are discussed by the Ordinary Session (Feria Quarta) of the Dicastery for a deliberate vote. Their decisions are eventually subjected to the approval of the Supreme Pontiff, in a special Audience.
The Dicastery also has its Historical Archives, following their own Norms, to which only qualified scholars are given access.
At the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith are constituted also the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the International Theological Commission, which, under the presidency of the Prefect, work according to the proper norms.