Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer is a retired Spanish Jesuit and respected orthodox-leaning theologian who served as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2017 to 2023.

Born on April 19, 1944, in Manacor, Spain, Ladaria completed his law degree from the University of Madrid in 1966 before joining the Society of Jesus. He pursued further studies in philosophy and theology at prestigious institutions, including the Comillas Pontifical University and the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained his doctorate in theology in 1975.

His academic career began as a professor of dogmatic theology at the Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid. In 1984, he moved to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he also served as vice-rector from 1986 to 1994. Ladaria’s expertise in theology led to his appointment as a member of the International Theological Commission in 1992 and as a consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1995.

In 2004, Ladaria was named Secretary-General of the International Theological Commission. He played a significant role in evaluating the concept of limbo and the salvation prospects for unbaptized infants. His career in the Vatican Curia advanced further when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2008, elevating him to the rank of archbishop.

The pinnacle of Ladaria’s career came on July 1, 2017, when Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith. This position also made him president of several pontifical commissions. In recognition of his service, Pope Francis created him a cardinal on June 28, 2018.

Cardinal Ladaria, as the prefect of the DDF, made several important doctrinal statements. He strongly reaffirmed traditional Catholic teaching on human sexuality and anthropology, stating that the “truth about the human person and sexuality does not change even as prevailing ideology exalts ‘freedom without relation to truth’”. He emphasized that the Church’s teachings on sexuality, love, and life remain relevant today, despite changing cultural attitudes.

Specifically, Ladaria defended the teachings of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, saying it “bases its doctrine on the truth of the act of conjugal love, the inseparable connection that God has willed and that man cannot break on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act.”¹ His position contrasts with that of his successor, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, who queried this teaching when he was rector of the Catholic University of Buenos Aires.

Cardinal Ladaria forcefully reiterated the Church’s teaching on restricting priestly ordination to men. He stated that maleness is “an indispensable element” of the priesthood and that the Church is “bound” by Christ’s decision to only choose male apostles. He further declared this teaching to be infallible and “definitive,” arguing it should be held as an unchanging part of Catholic faith.

Ladaria issued a strong critique of Germany’s Synodal Path process, saying among other things that it lacked confidence in the Magisterium’s vision, reduced the Magisterium to a single statement, and overlooked the role of bishops as successors to the apostles.

While not making a definitive statement, Ladaria cautioned the US bishops about formulating a national policy on denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians. He emphasized that individual bishops have authority within their own dioceses on the matter.

Cardinal Ladaria consistently emphasized the importance of safeguarding Catholic doctrine. He stated, “Our mission is to promote and protect the doctrine of the faith. A task that will always be necessary in the Church, which has the duty to transmit the teaching of the Apostles to new generations.”

In 2021 and as head of the then-CDF, the Spanish Jesuit theologian issued a Responsum that maintained a clear stance against blessing same-sex unions while allowing for blessings of individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, who seek to live according to Church teaching. The ruling was not well received by some in the LGBT community, leading to Ladaria’s successor, Cardinal Victor Fernández, to publish Fiducia Supplicans, a document that critics said substantially weakened and even contradicted the Responsum.

As an expert theologian, Cardinal Ladaria was chosen by Pope Francis to be a Synod Father at the 2023 Synod on Synodality assembly but the cardinal asked to be removed from the list, possibly pointing to some differences with the synodal process. He also did not take part in the second and final session in October 2024.

Ladaria maintained a consistent record of upholding traditional Church teaching on marriage and sexual morality. His statements reflected a commitment to preserving Catholic doctrine in the face of changing cultural attitudes and internal Church debates. At the same time, he emphasized a shift away from the Vatican’s doctrinal office’s historical reputation as an inquisitorial body. “We are no longer the Inquisition,” he said. “The index no longer exists.”

As prefect and in his prior role as CDF secretary, Ladaria was involved in overseeing the Dicastery’s work on sexual abuse cases which comprised a significant portion of his office’s workload.

In 2018, he was named as a co-defendant in a private prosecution in France related to Cardinal Philippe Barbarin’s handling of a sexual abuse case. The Vatican invoked diplomatic immunity on Ladaria’s behalf in this matter.²Cardinal Ladaria faced a civil trial along with Barbarin, two French bishops and a priest for failing to report a confessed serial abuser, Father Bernard Preynat, to the police for abusing many Catholic boy scouts during the 1980s. Lawyers for the victims say Ladaria had advised Barbarin by letter in 2015 to discipline Preynat but avoid public scandal. At the time, he was secretary of the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which handles clerical sexual abuse cases. Cardinal Barbarin was later exonerated of mishandling the case.

A humble and discreet Jesuit who gave very few interviews, Cardinal Ladaria was a respected professor of theology at the Gregorian. He was also lauded for leading the DDF through a challenging period when orthodoxy was facing opposition and resistance from some of the highest levels of the Church.

Cardinal Ladaria speaks Spanish, Italian, and English.