In office, Cardinal Ratzinger fulfilled his institutional role, defending and reaffirming official Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. During his period in office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith took disciplinary measures against some outspoken liberation theologians in Latin America in the 1980s and Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello. In 1983, he issued the Declaration on Masonic Associations which drew on Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons (itself issued by the Congregation nine months before his becoming its prefect).
Cardinal Ratzinger's role as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith involved defending and reaffirming official Catholic doctrine on topics like birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. He took disciplinary action against some outspoken liberation theologians in Latin America and Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello. In 1983, he issued a declaration regarding Masonic associations, drawing upon a previous statement from the same congregation about Catholics joining Freemasons.