Pontifical university

{{short description|University established or approved by the Roman Catholic Church}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

A pontifical university or athenaeum is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law) and at least one other faculty. These academic institutes deal specifically with Christian revelation and related disciplines, and the Church's mission of spreading the Gospel, as proclaimed in the apostolic constitution Sapientia christiana.{{Cite web |url=http://www.avepro.va/ |title=AVEPRO |website=avepro.va |access-date=1 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008095947/http://www.avepro.va/ |archive-date=8 October 2012 |url-status=live }} As of 2018, they are governed by the apostolic constitution Veritatis gaudium issued by Pope Francis on 8 December 2017.

Quality and ranking

Pontifical universities follow a European system of study hour calculation, granting the baccalaureate, the licentiate, and the ecclesiastical doctorate. These ecclesiastical degrees are prerequisites to certain offices in the Roman Catholic Church, especially considering that bishop candidates are selected mainly from priests who are doctors of sacred theology (S.T.D.) or canon law (J.C.D.) and that ecclesiastical judges and canon lawyers must have at least the Licentiate of Canon Law (J.C.L.).{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=The Pontifical Universities |url=https://vatican.com/The-Pontifical-Universities/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519135115/https://vatican.com/The-Pontifical-Universities/ |archive-date=2023-05-19 |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=vatican.com}}

In 2003 the Holy See took part in the Bologna Process, a series of meetings and agreements between European states designed to foster comparable quality standards in higher education, and in the "Bologna Follow-up Group". Pope Benedict XVI established the Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO), an attempt to promote and develop a culture of quality within the ecclesiastical institutions and enable them to aim in developing internationally valid quality criteria.

Compared to secular universities, which are academic institutions for the study and teaching of a broad range of disciplines, ecclesiastical or pontifical universities are "usually composed of three principal ecclesiastical faculties, theology, philosophy, and canon law, and at least one other faculty. A pontifical university specifically addresses Christian revelation and disciplines correlative to the evangelical mission of the Church as set out in the apostolic constitution Sapientia christiana{{-"}}.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15041979_sapientia-christiana_en.html |title=Sapientia Christiana (April 15, 1979) {{!}} John Paul II|website=www.vatican.va|access-date=24 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920150336/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15041979_sapientia-christiana_en.html|archive-date=20 September 2012|url-status=live}}Agenzia della Santa Sede per la Valutazione e la Promozione della Qualità delle Università e Facoltà Ecclesiastiche (AVEPRO), http://www.avepro.va/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008095947/http://www.avepro.va/ |date=8 October 2012 }} Accessed 1 November. 2012

List of pontifical universities

Argentina

Belgium

Bolivia

Brazil

{{main category|Pontifical universities in Brazil}}

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

France

Germany

Guatemala

India

Ireland

  • St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Maynooth; Pontifical University charter 1896[https://maynoothcollege.ie/about Pontifical University St. Patrick's College Maynooth]

Can grant pontifical degrees.

  • The Irish Dominican House of Studies (Studium) can grant pontifical degrees from the Angelicum, since 1971, originally from St. Mary's Priory but since 2000 from St. Saviour's Priory, Dublin.

Italy

{{Main|Pontifical universities in Rome}}

(Pontifical Institutes and Faculties are listed in the Ecclesiastical Universities article, while here are the Pontifical Universities and Atheneum.)

Ivory Coast

Kenya

Lebanon

Mexico

Montenegro

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Spain[http://www.educatio.va/content/cec/it/istituzioni---facolta.html Voice:Europe/Spain]

Ukraine

United Kingdom

  • Mater Ecclesiae College, St Mary's University, Twickenham, London; since 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/news/2019/09/mater-ecclesiae-college-st-marys| title=Mater Ecclesiae College – Ecclesiastical Faculties at St Mary's University}}

United States

Uruguay

=Former pontifical universities=

Pontifical faculties

{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2021}}

Pontifical colleges

{{Main|Roman Colleges}}

A number of national Roman Colleges designated as Pontifical Colleges serve primarily as residence halls for seminarians sent by the bishops of a particular country to study there, such as the Belgian Pontifical College. They may also provide housing for priests pursuing advanced degrees. Students may take classes at the Gregorian, the Angelicum or other universities in Rome. In addition, other members of the clergy may reside there when in Rome.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

Sources

  • {{cite book |title=Catholic Almanac 2010 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781592766147 |url-access=registration |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781592766147/page/546 546–550] |publisher=Our Sunday Visitor |year=2010 |editor=Matthew Bunson}}

{{Pontifical universities in Rome}}

{{Papacy}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Catholic universities and colleges

Category:Types of university or college