The main documents of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith are now available online. The Congregation is tasked with safeguarding Catholic doctrine.
A press released on the Congregation's website (www.doctrinafidei.va) notes that major documents of the Congregation are available in eight languages: Latin, French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German and Polish.
Certain documents are also available in Hungarian, Slovak, Czech and Dutch, but the work of adding other translations continues.
At the present, each document is available in its original language as well as in some translations.
The collection includes a general list of all the texts organised chronologically, and three subgroups of these texts, divided into doctrinal, disciplinary and sacramental documents.
The website also presents information on the Congregation's series Documenti e Studi, which are individual printed volumes presenting a major document of the Congregation together with commentaries by noted theologians.
There is also a description of the volumes containing the proceedings of various symposia organised by the Congregation in recent years.
Equally, the website includes various speeches and other contributions by the cardinal prefects.
The Congregation's documents have the express approbation of the Holy Father in his ordinary Magisterium as the Successor of Peter (cf Instruction Donum veritatis on the ecclesial vocation of the theologian, 24 May 1990, n. 18).
For this reason, attentive reception of these texts is important for all members of the faithful; in particular, for those who are engaged in theological and pastoral work in the name of the Church.
For the Congregation, a wider distribution of its teachings "is necessary in today's world", especially those that were published since the time of the Second Vatican Council, CONGREGATIO PRO DOCTRINA FIDEI, Documenta inde a Concilio Vaticano Secundo expleto edita (1966-2005): LEV, Vatican City, 2006.
"These texts," the press release says, "treat significant questions for the life and mission of the Church and give important doctrinal responses to the challenges of our times."