Pope Leo XIV on Thursday reminded members of the Vatican’s doctrine office of the urgency of offering clear doctrinal guidance in response to new challenges, especially in a context marked by declining religious belief. The pope received the participants of the plenary session of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) — one of the oldest and most significant offices in the Holy See — on Jan. 29. He emphasized the “precious service they carry out,” aimed at promoting and safeguarding the integrity of Catholic doctrine in matters of faith and morals. The mission entrusted to them, the Holy Father stressed, consists in “offering clarifications on the doctrine of the Church” through pastoral and theological guidance on issues that are often both complex and delicate. Leo did not mention the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which was published in December 2023, shortly before the DDF’s most recent plenary session.