Vatican - Pope Francis, in a meeting with Cardinal Luis Ladaria on Tuesday morning, expressed his gratitude for Ladaria's six-year tenure as the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, according to the Vatican's brief statement. The pope's visit to the dicastery occurred shortly after 9 a.m. on September 5, during which he also extended greetings to other officials of the dicastery following his meeting with the 79-year-old Ladaria.

On July 1, Pope Francis designated Argentine Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández as Ladaria's successor as the chief of doctrine. Fernández, aged 61, is scheduled to assume the role on September 11.

Ladaria assumed the position of prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on July 1, 2017, succeeding German Cardinal Gerhard Müller.

The Spanish theologian had held the role of secretary at the Vatican's doctrine office since 2008.

As a Jesuit member since 1966, Ladaria earned a theology doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1975. He later served as a professor of dogmatic theology at the Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid and subsequently at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Ladaria also held the position of vice rector at the Gregorian from 1986 to 1994.

During his tenure as the head of the DDF, Ladaria also served as the president of the International Theological Commission and the Pontifical Biblical Commission, with these responsibilities now passing on to Fernández.

Ladaria received the status of cardinal during a consistory held in June 2018.

Fernández, recognized for his prolific writing and close collaboration with Pope Francis, held the position of archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, from 2018 until his appointment as the head of the DDF on July 1.

The theologian also assumed the role of rector at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina from 2009 to 2018.

Pope Francis, in a letter published with the announcement of Fernández's appointment, conveyed, "As the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, I entrust to you a task that I consider very valuable." The Pope expressed concerns that the dicastery, at times, prioritized "doctrinal errors" over "the promotion of theological knowledge."

“What I expect from you is certainly something very different,” Pope Francis said. “I ask you as prefect to dedicate your personal commitment in a more direct way to the main purpose of the dicastery, which is ‘guarding the faith.’”