Talk:Pontifical university

Latest comment: 4 years ago by Manannan67 in topic Ecclesiastical

Katholieke Universiteit Brussel ? Most probably not a pontifical university. edit

I dare and doubt that Katholieke Universiteit Brussel is a pontifical university. Most probably and AFAIK, it is not. Please provide reliable sources it is indeed, either wipe it from this list as due.

Thank you for your collaborating in trying and ameliorating Wikipedia.

And Happy New Year!

-- Bartvs (talk) 21:30, 31 December 2008 (UTC)Reply

FYI : Heythrop College edit

On Heythrop College, University of London, London (Cf. [1]).

The Annuario Pontificio, 1980 edition (which I have at hands), does not mention Heythrop College (University of London) as "Università cattoliche" (any more) indeed. (o.c., pp. 1420-1427). I do not know whether it ever was. Then again, (in said edition) it figures among the list of "Facoltà di Studi Ecclesiastici" (o.c., pp. 1428-1436):

LONDON (Gran Bretagna) – Heythrop College (University of
  London – 1 nov. 1964.
  Teologia – Filosofia.
    Preside: P. Copleston Frederik C., S.I.
    Indirezzo: 11-13 Cavendish Square, LONDON W1M OAN (En-
        gland).

(Extracted from: Annuario Pontificio, 1980 edition, "Instituzioni Culturali" → "Facoltà di Studi Ecclesiastici (con la rispettiva data di erezione canonica)", p. (1423) (1428) 1430.)

i.e. : as from 1964 and at least until 1979, Heythrop College (University of London) was granted to deliver ecclesiastical degrees in theology and philosopy. I do not know about its present situation. The latter should be checked with the newest (2008) edition of the Annuario Pontificio.

FYI: being granted the privilege of being an Ecclesiastical Faculty, doesn't tell anything at all about the institution (as in this case University of London) the faculty may be part of.

-- Bartvs (talk) 22:20, 31 December 2008 (UTC)Reply

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin ? edit

It's not pontifical, is it?Xx236 (talk) 08:23, 7 June 2010 (UTC)Reply


A Catholic institution for Higher Education can only be called a "Pontifical University" if it has been formally declared as such by the Pope, through a written document. For example. The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines is called a Pontifical University because it was declared as such by Pope Leo XIII in 1902, through the Apostolic Constitution Quae Mari Sinico. without such Papal document an institution cannot be referred to as "Pontifical".

There are institutions of Higher Education contained in this article's list of Pontifical Universities that do not give references, which support their being included in this list.

The distinction must be made between those entities called Catholic Universities/Colleges or Schools, Ecclesiastical Faculties, and Pontifical Universities. As regards Catholic Universities/colleges, the Roman Curia Document that specifies the requirements for these to be classified as such is the Ex corde Ecclesiae, while that which pertains to Ecclesiastical Faculties is the Sapientia christiana. Both documents are available online at the Vatican Official Website at www.vatican.va.

Two important aspects of these requirements are: 1.) the Founder of the University, and 2) the Authority on which the educational institution belongs, that is, whether on the authority of the Local Ordianry or the Catholic Bishop of the place where this instituion is located, on the Bishop's Conference of a Country, on a religious order, or on the Holy See.

--Jobrill (talk) 19:35, 11 November 2010 (UTC)Reply

Distinctions edit

At present the list is not complete -- see Catholic Almanac 2010, pp. 546ff., for a fuller roster. Yet expanding the list exposes a problem: there is some ambiguity and overlap between the concepts "pontifical university" and "ecclesiastical faculty". The list of pontifical universities in Catholic Almanac 2010, taken from the Annuario Pontificio, includes some institutions, such as Georgetown, Niagara, and PUCPR, that apparently do not offer ecclesiastical degrees. Would it be worthwhile to make a separate "List of institutions offering Catholic ecclesiastical degrees", consisting of the ecclesiastical faculties, plus some of the pontifical universities? Or is there a better way to make this list clear? -- Chonak (talk) 02:07, 14 November 2010 (UTC)Reply

An institution need not necessarily have ecclesiastical faculties in order to bear the title "Pontifical". Official residences of priests and seminarians in Rome also bear the title "Pontifical", even though there are no ecclesiastical faculties in these establishments. What enables an institution to have the right to be called "Pontifical" is, as said above, the Pope's formal declaration of it as such. This would mean that such institution is established by or is under the direction of the Holy See. In short, it is under the Papal Patronage.--Count of Sulbod (talk) 22:04, 16 November 2010 (UTC)Reply

The updated edition of the Annuario Pontificio is the most reliable reference as regards the list of Pontifical institutions for Higher Education, as well as for the list of other non-educational institutions that have "Pontifical" status.--Count of Sulbod (talk) 22:10, 16 November 2010 (UTC)Reply

It is better to use the Classification of the Annuario Pontificio, which segregates the Catholic Universities from Ecclesiastical Institutions for Higher Studies (InstituzioniSuperiori di Studi Ecclesiastici). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.77.0.160 (talk) 08:46, 26 March 2011 (UTC)Reply

Fu Jen Catholic University edit

The Anuario Pontificio, the annual official directory of the Holy See, never made any mention of the Fu Jen Catholic University as a Pontifical University. Kuya kyon (talk) 03:38, 5 November 2012 (UTC)Reply

The Classification in The Annuario Pontificio 2014 (p. 1749) is "UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICHE", i.e., "Catholic Universities".

It is not a Pontifical University. The title "Pontifical" is granted by the Holy See. Since 2012, the Holy See has suspended granting this title.--Sulbud (talk) 11:14, 8 October 2014 (UTC)Reply

Catholic Institute of Paris? edit

This school provides canonical degrees in theology, canon law, etc (clerics like Cardinal Schonborn went there). Wouldn't it be classified as a pontifical university?C'est la vie 05:28, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

Pontifical universities vs. ecclesiastical faculties edit

I suppose the article should be reorganized to distinguish ecclesiastical faculties (granting ecclesiastical degrees such as STB, JCL, etc.) from pontifical universities (which may or may not contain such faculties). Also, there are some institutions which do not have ecclesiastical faculties of their own, but which collaborate with such faculties so that they may offer programs leading to ecclesiastical degrees.

In the U.S., an article on ecclesiastical faculties and related programs could include these institutions:

  • The Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (an ecclesiastical faculty [2])
  • Also, the STB program at Saint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) is aggregated to the Angelicum,
  • STL and STD programs at the Marian Library in Dayton are aggregated to the Marianum,
  • and Sacred Heart Major Seminary (Detroit) has STB and STL programs aggregated to the Angelicum [3]

--Bistropha (talk) 06:48, 25 November 2013 (UTC)Reply

Clonliffe College, Dublin and a number of other institutions in the past would have awarded degrees Angelicum University such as Clonliffe College and other seminaries in Ireland are not autonomous Pontifical Universities. These are Ecclesiastical Institutions of Higher Education that depend on autonomous Ecclesiastical Faculties (also ecclesiastical Faculties of certain Pontifical Universities)in order to grant ecclesiastical degrees. They cannot be included in the category of Pontifical Universities.--Sulbud (talk) 11:01, 8 October 2014 (UTC)Reply

Netherlands edit

These Universities are not Pontifical. They were formerly Catholic Univeristies, but were not Pontifical.

Ecclesiastical Higher Education Institutions edit

The Annuario Pontificio has a separate section for Higher Education Institutions (which are not universities) that are authorized to grant ecclesiastical degrees. Annuario Pontificio 2014 (p- 1758) classifies these as "Istituzioni Superiori di Studi Ecclesiastici.

Location of Jesuit School of Theology edit

As far as I can tell, "Santa Clara, MA" doesn't even exist. 2601:647:4600:448D:21B:77FF:FE2B:ED95 (talk) 07:46, 24 September 2015 (UTC)Reply

"Sapientia christiana" edit

"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" cf. " It (Veritatis gaudium) replaces the norms of the apostolic constitution Sapientia christiana, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 15 April 1979. The document obrogates all laws, customs, and privileges contrary to Veritatis gaudium." - I gather the latter is now the governing document? Manannan67 (talk) 20:07, 12 August 2019 (UTC)Reply

Ecclesiastical edit

Are these two duplicates: Ecclesiastical university? Manannan67 (talk) 15:12, 13 August 2019 (UTC)Reply