Pontifical universities in Rome

A pontifical university is a Catholic university established by and directly under the authority of the Holy See. It is licensed to grant academic degrees in sacred faculties, the most important of which are theology, canon law, and philosophy. Pontifical universities follow a European system of degrees in the sacred faculties, granting the baccalaureate, the licentiate, and the doctorate.

As defined by the 1983 Code of Canon Law:

Can. 815 Ecclesiastical universities or faculties, which are to investigate the sacred disciplines or those connected to the sacred and to instruct students scientifically in the same disciplines, are proper to the Church by virtue of its function to announce the revealed truth.

Can. 816 §1. Ecclesiastical universities and faculties can be established only through erection by the Apostolic See or with its approval; their higher direction also pertains to it.

§2. Individual ecclesiastical universities and faculties must have their own statutes and plan of studies approved by the Apostolic See.

Can. 817 No university or faculty which has not been erected or approved by the Apostolic See is able to confer academic degrees which have canonical effects in the Church.

Independent institutions or individual faculties at non-pontifical universities may also be given charters by the Holy See (under canon 814) to grant pontifical degrees, usually in one or two specific fields. These are referred to as a "pontifical faculty," "pontifical institute," or "pontifical athenaeo" to distinguish them from an entire "pontifical university," which incorporates at least four faculties, including theology, canon law, and philosophy.

The vicariate (diocese) of Rome has established an office for campus ministry and the pastoral care of students, the Office of Pastorale Universitaria. This office serves students at the pontifical universities as well as those enrolled at state universities.

Academic degrees

In Italy "degrees in theology and other specific ecclesiastical disciplines (Sacred Scriptures, Canon Law, Spirituality, Liturgy, Missiology, and Religious Sciences), conferred by a Faculty approved by the Holy See are recognized by the State" pursuant to art. 10/II of the 25 March 1985 n.21 Law (OJ No 28, April 10, 1985). However, no measures were taken designed to establish a priori the equivalence with the titles conferred by Italian universities. It is therefore not possible to predetermine a mandatory equivalence for qualifications issued by pontifical universities with those issued by state universities. Indeed, in Italy, constant changes make it very complex to unify a university curriculum with the problem of equality that must be resolved, at their request, from time to time by the relevant Ministry of Education, University and Research.

Pontifical Institutions in Rome

The Pontifical Gregorian University.

In Rome, we find the following pontifical universities (with respect to can. 815), and pontifical athenaea, institutes of higher education, and faculties (these with respect to can. 814). The Religious Order or other ecclesiastical body responsible for the administration of the university is listed in parentheses.

Pontifical Universities:

• Pontifical Gregorian University "Gregoriana" (Jesuits)
• Pontifical Lateran University "Lateranum" (Diocese of Rome)
• Pontifical Salesian University "Salesianum" (Salesian Fathers)
• Pontifical University of the Holy Cross "Santa Croce" (Opus Dei)
• Pontifical University of St. Anthony "Antonianum" (Franciscans)
• Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas "Angelicum" (Dominicans)
• Pontifical Urban University "Urbaniana" (Dicastery for Evangelization)

Pontifical Athenaea:

• Pontifical Athenaeum "Regina Apostolorum" (Legionaries of Christ)
• Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm "Anselmianum" (Benedictines)

Pontifical Institutes:

• Pontifical Institute "John Paul II" for Marriage and Family Sciences
• Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies "PISAI"
• Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music "PIMS"

Pontifical Faculties:

• Pontifical Theological Faculty "Marianum" (Servites)
• Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. Bonaventure "Seraphicum" (Conventual Franciscans)
• Pontifical Theological Faculty "Teresianum" (Discalced Carmelites)

Pontifical Institutions incorporated or associated to others:

• Pontifical Institute for Biblical Studies "Biblicum" (Jesuits) [associated to Gregoriana]
• Pontifical Institute for Eastern Studies "Orientale" (Jesuits) [associated to Gregoriana]
• Pontifical Institute of Spirituality "Teresianum" (Discalced Carmelites) [incorporated into Teresianum]
• Institute for Patristic Studies "Augustinianum" (Augustines) [incorporated into Lateranum]
• Institute of Consecrated Life "Claretianum" (Claretians) [incorporated into Lateranum]
• Institute of Moral Theology "Accademia Alfonsiana" (Redemptorists) [incorporated into Lateranum]

Institutions outside of Italy incorporated or associated to Roman institutions:

• Institute of Languages and Humanities "Polis" at Jerusalem (Opus Dei) [associated to Santa Croce]
• Studium Biblicum Franciscanum at Jerusalem (Franciscans) [incorporated into Antonianum]
• Studium Theologicum Salesianum at Jerusalem (Salesian Fathers) [incorporated into Salesianum]

For completeness of information, a pontifical institute of higher learning which is the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a prestigious institution of the Catholic Church, takes care of the preparation of the priest for the service diplomacy of the Holy See of various nunciatures or in Secretary of State of the Holy See.