Holy Office: Meaning and Definition of

Ho'ly Of'fice

Pronunciation: [key]
— Rom. Cath. Ch. Rom. Cath. Ch.
  1. a congregation founded in 1542 to succeed the suppressed Inquisition and entrusted with matters pertaining to faith and morals, as the judgment of heresy, the application of canonical punishment, and the examination of books and prohibition of those held dangerous to faith and morals.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.