Source: http://www.clsadb.com/document/3863ee89-c528-473c-b08e-fbd88af06a28
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 14:23:01+00:00

Document:
Pope Francis, apostolic constitution on ecclesiastical universities and faculties Veritatis gaudium, 29 January 2018.
2. The Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana represented in every respect the mature fruit of the great work of reforming ecclesiastical studies initiated by the Second Vatican Council. In particular, it consolidated the progress made in this crucial area of the Church’s mission under the wise and prudent guidance of Blessed Paul VI, while at the same time heralding the contribution, in continuity with the past, which would be made by the magisterium of Saint John Paul II.
Populorum Progressio likewise played a decisive role in the reordering of ecclesiastical studies in the light of Vatican II. The experience of the various local Churches has shown that it, together with Evangelii Nuntiandi, offered significant encouragement and concrete direction for the inculturation of the Gospel and the evangelization of culture in various regions of the world and in response to present-day challenges. This social Encyclical of Paul VI, in fact, incisively states that the development of peoples, essential for attaining justice and peace worldwide, “must be well rounded; it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man.”13 It also speaks of the need for “wise men in search of a new humanism, one which will enable … [human persons to] find themselves.”14 Populorum Progressio thus interprets with prophetic vision the social question as an anthropological question, one affecting the fate of the entire human family.
The primary need today is for the whole People of God to be ready to embark upon a new stage of “Spirit-filled” evangelization.19 This calls for “a resolute process of discernment, purification and reform.”20 In this process, a fitting renewal of the system of ecclesiastical studies plays a strategic role. These studies, in fact, are called to offer opportunities and processes for the suitable formation of priests, consecrated men and women, and committed lay people. At the same time, they are called to be a sort of providential cultural laboratory in which the Church carries out the performative interpretation of the reality brought about by the Christ event and nourished by the gifts of wisdom and knowledge by which the Holy Spirit enriches the People of God in manifold ways – from the sensus fidei fidelium to the magisterium of the bishops, and from the charism of the prophets to that of the doctors and theologians.
This vast and pressing task requires, on the cultural level of academic training and scientific study, a broad and generous effort at a radical paradigm shift, or rather – dare I say – at “a bold cultural revolution.”27 In this effort, the worldwide network of ecclesiastical universities and faculties is called to offer the decisive contribution of leaven, salt and light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the living Tradition of the Church, which is ever open to new situations and ideas.
This joyful and life-giving contemplation of the face of God, revealed in Jesus Christ as a Father rich in mercy (cf. Eph 2:4),33 enables us to live in a liberating and responsible way the experience the Church as a “mystique” of living together.34 This provides the leaven of that universal fraternity which is “capable of seeing the sacred grandeur of our neighbour, of finding God in every human being, of tolerating the nuisances of life in common by clinging to the love of God, of opening the heart to divine love and seeking the happiness of others just as their heavenly Father does.”35 It is also the source of the imperative to allow our hearts and minds to heed the cry of the earth’s poor36 and to give concrete expression to the social dimension of evangelization,37 which is an integral part of the Church’s mission. For “God, in Christ, redeems not only the individual person but also the social relations existing between men.”38 It is true that “we may not always be able to reflect adequately the beauty of the Gospel, but there is one sign which we should never lack: the option for those who are least, those whom society discards.”39 This option must pervade the presentation and study of Christian truth.
b) A second guiding criterion, closely linked to and flowing from the first, is that of wide-ranging dialogue, not as a mere tactical approach, but as an intrinsic requirement for experiencing in community the joy of the Truth and appreciating more fully its meaning and practical implications. Today our proclamation of the Gospel and the Church’s doctrine are called to promote a culture of encounter,41 in generous and open cooperation with all the positive forces that contribute to the growth of universal human consciousness. A culture, we might say, of encounter between all the authentic and vital cultures, thanks to a reciprocal exchange of the gifts of each in that luminous space opened up by God’s love for all his creatures.
Today, as Benedict XVI noted in Caritas in Veritate, taking up the cultural insights expressed by Paul VI in Populorum Progressio, “there is a lack of wisdom and reflection, a lack of thinking capable of formulating a guiding synthesis.”45 This is where the specific mission entrusted to the programme of ecclesiastical studies comes into play. The need for such a guiding synthesis not only makes clear the intrinsic purpose of the programme of ecclesiastical studies, but also demonstrates, especially today, its real cultural and humanizing importance. Today’s recovery of an interdisciplinary approach is certainly positive and promising,46 even in its “weak” form as a simple multidisciplinary approach that favours a better understanding from several points of view of an object of study. It is all the more so in its “strong” form, as cross-disciplinary, situating and stimulating all disciplines against the backdrop of the Light and Life offered by the Wisdom streaming from God’s Revelation.
Indispensable in this regard is the establishment of new and qualified centres of research where – as I proposed in Laudato Si’ – scholars from different religious universities and from different scientific fields can interact with responsible freedom and mutual transparency, thus entering into “dialogue among themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity.”65 In all countries, universities constitute the main centres of scientific research for the advancement of knowledge and of society; they play a decisive role in economic social and cultural development, especially in a time like our own, marked as it is by rapid, constant and far-reaching changes in the fields of science and technology. International agreements also take account of the vital responsibility of universities for research policies and the need to coordinate them by creating networks of specialized centres in order to facilitate, not least, the mobility of researchers.
In this regard, plans are under way for outstanding interdisciplinary centres and initiatives aimed at accompanying the development of advanced technologies, the best use of human resources and programmes of integration. Ecclesiastical studies, in the spirit of a Church that “goes forth,” are likewise called to develop specialized centers capable of deeper dialogue with the different scientific fields. Specifically, shared and converging research between specialists of different disciplines represents a particular service to the people of God, and especially to the Magisterium. It also supports the Church’s mission of proclaiming the good news of Christ to all, in dialogue with the different sciences and in the service of a deeper understanding and application of truth in the life of individuals and society.
6. What is taking shape before us today is “a great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal.”67 This is also the case for ecclesiastical faculties and universities.
§2. They can be an Ecclesiastical University or Faculty sui iuris; or an Ecclesiastical Faculty within a Catholic University,71 or an Ecclesiastical Faculty within some other kind of University.
§3. to collaborate intensely, in accordance with their own nature and in close communion with the Hierarchy, with the local and the universal Church the whole work of evangelization.
Article 9. §1. Faculties which have not been canonically erected or approved by the Holy See may not confer academic degrees having canonical value.
§2. Academic degrees conferred by such Faculties, if they are to have value for some canonical effects only, require the recognition of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
§3. For this recognition to be given for individual degrees for a special reason, the conditions laid down by the Congregation must be fulfilled.
Article 11. §1. The University or Faculty is community of study, research and formation, which operates, on an official level, in pursuit of its primary aims, listed in article 3, in conformity with the principles of the evangelizing mission of the Church.
§2. Within the academic community, all the people, either as individuals or as members of councils, are, each according to his or her own status, co-responsible for the common good and must strive to work for the same community’s goals.
§3. Therefore, their rights and duties within the academic community must be accurately set down in the Statutes, to ensure that they are properly exercised within correctly established limits.
Article 13. §1. The University or Faculty legally depends on the Chancellor, unless the Holy See has established otherwise.
§2. Where conditions favour such a post, it is also possible to have a Vice-Chancellor, whose authority is determined in the Statutes.
– the Dean of an Ecclesiastical Faculty that forms part of a Catholic University or another kind of University.
Article 19. §1. The Statutes determine how the personal and the collegial authorities are to collaborate with each other, so that, carefully observing the principle of collegiality, especially in more serious matters and above all in those of an academic nature, the persons in authority will enjoy that exercise of power which really corresponds to their office.
§2. This applies, in the first place, to the Rector, who has the duty to govern the entire University and to promote, in suitable ways, its unity, cooperation and progress.
Article 20. §1. When Faculties are parts of an Ecclesiastical University or a Catholic University, their governance must be suitably coordinated through the Statutes with the governance of the entire University in such a way that the good of the single Faculties is assured at the same time that the good of the whole University is promoted, and the cooperation of all the Faculties with each other is favoured.
§2. The canonical exigencies of Ecclesiastical Faculties must be safeguarded even when such Faculties are inserted into another kind of University.
§2. These requirements for taking on permanent teachers must be applied also, in proportionate measure, for hiring non-permanent ones.
§3. In hiring teachers, the scientific requirements in current force in the university practice of the local area should be taken into account.
Article 27. §1 Those who teach disciplines concerning faith or morals must receive, after making their profession of faith,78 a canonical mission from the Chancellor or his delegate, for they do not teach on their own authority but by virtue of the mission they have received from the Church. The other teachers must receive permission to teach from the Chancellor or his delegate.
§2. All teachers, before they are given a permanent post or before they are promoted to the highest category of teacher, or else in both cases, as the Statutes are to state, must receive a declaration of nihil obstat from the Holy See.
Article 32. §1. To enrol in a Faculty in order to obtain an academic degree, one must present that kind of study title which would be necessary to permit enrolment in a civil university of one’s own country or of the country where the Faculty is located.
§2. The Faculty, in its own Statutes, should determine what, besides what is contained in §1 above, is needed for entrance into its course of study, including ancient and modern language requirements.
§3. The Faculty should also determine in its Statutes procedures for evaluating the ways to treat the cases of refugees, exiles and persons in similar situations who lack the normal documentation required.
Article 36. §1. In governing and administering a University or Faculty, the authorities are to be assisted by officials trained for various tasks.
§2. The officials are, first of all, the Secretary, the Librarian, the Financial Procurator, and others whom the institution considers necessary. Their rights and duties must be established in the Statutes or Rule.
Article 37. §1. In arranging the studies, the principles and norms which for different matters are contained in ecclesiastical documents, especially those of the Second Vatican Council, must be carefully observed. At the same time account must be taken of sound advances coming from scientific progress which can contribute to answering the questions being currently asked.
§2. In the single Faculties let that scientific method be used which corresponds to the needs of the individual sciences. Up-to-date didactic and teaching methods should be applied in an appropriate way, in order to bring about the personal involvement of the students and their active participation in their studies.
1) just freedom80 should be acknowledged in research and teaching so that true progress can be obtained in learning and understanding divine truth.
§2. Therefore, in such a weighty matter one must proceed with trust, and without suspicion, but the same time with prudence and without rashness, especially in teaching; moreover, one must carefully harmonize the necessities of science with the pastoral needs of the People of God.
Article 40. §1. The disciplines which are absolutely necessary for the Faculty to achieve its purposes should be determined. Those also should be set out which in a different way are helpful to these purposes and, therefore, how these are suitably distinguished one from another.
§2. In each Faculty the disciplines should be arranged in such a way that they form an organic body, so as to serve the solid and coherent formation of the students and to facilitate collaboration by the teachers.
Article 45. §1. After each cycle of the curriculum of studies, the suitable academic degree can be conferred, which must be established for each Faculty, with attention given to the duration of the cycle and to the disciplines taught in it.
§2. Therefore, according to the general and special norms of this Constitution, all degrees conferred and the conditions under which they are conferred are to be determined in the Statutes of the individual Faculties.
Article 49. §1. In order to be admitted to the Doctorate, one must first have obtained the Licentiate.
§2. A requisite for obtaining a Doctorate, furthermore, is a doctoral dissertation that makes a real contribution to the progress of science, written under the direction of a teacher, publicly defended and collegially approved; the principal part, at least, must be published.
Article 50. §1. The Doctorate is the academic degree which enables one to teach in a Faculty and which is therefore required for this purpose, the Licentiate is the academic degree which enables one to teach in a major seminary or equivalent institution and which is therefore required for this purpose.
§2. The academic degrees which are required for filling various ecclesiastical posts are to be stated by the competent ecclesiastical authority.
Article 56. §1. The Faculty must also have information and technical audio-visual equipment, etc., to assist its didactic and research work.
§2. In relationship to the special nature and purpose of a University or Faculty, research institutions and scientific laboratories should also be available, as well as other instruments needed for the accomplishment of its ends.
Article 61. §1. Great care must be given to what is called strategic planning, so as to provide for the preservation and progress of Universities and Faculties, as well as their suitable distribution in the various parts of the world.
§2. To accomplish this end, the Congregation for Catholic Education is to be helped by advice from the Bishops’ Conferences and from a commission of experts.
Article 62. §1. The erection or approval of a new University or Faculty is decided upon by the Congregation for Catholic Education81 when all the requirements are fulfilled. In this the Congregation listens to the local Ordinary or Eparch, the Bishops’ Conference, and experts especially from neighbouring Faculties.
§2. Four Ecclesiastical Faculties are needed to erect canonically an Ecclesiastical University; three Ecclesiastical Faculties for an Ecclesiastical Athenaeum.
§3. An Ecclesiastical University and an Ecclesiastical Faculty sui iuris possess ipso iure public juridic personality.
§4. It pertains to the Congregation for Catholic Education to grant by decree juridic personality to an Ecclesiastical Faculty that is part of a civil University.
Article 63. §1. Affiliation of some institution with a Faculty for the purpose of being able to grant the Baccalaureate is approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education, after the conditions established by that same Congregation are fulfilled.
§2. It is highly desirable that theological study centres, whether diocesan or religious, be affiliated to a Faculty of Theology.
Article 66. Cooperation between Faculties, whether of the same University or of the same region or of a wider territorial area, is to be diligently striven for.82 In fact, such cooperation is of great help in promoting the scientific research of the teachers and a better formation of the students. It also fosters the advance of interdisciplinary collaboration, which appears to be ever more necessary, and it contributes to the development of complementarity among the various Faculties. In general, it also helps to bring about the diffusion of Christian wisdom throughout all culture.
§2. The positive values in the various cultures and philosophies are to be sought out, carefully examined, and taken up. However, systems and methods incompatible with Christian faith must not be accepted.
§2. Also to be carefully considered are relationships with non-Christian religions.
§3. Problems arising from atheism and other currents of contemporary culture are to be scrupulously studied.
Article 75. §1. To enrol in a Faculty of Theology, the student must have done the previous studies called for in accordance with article 32 of this Constitution.
§2. Where the first cycle of the Faculty lasts for only three years, the student must submit proof of having properly completed a two-year course in philosophy at an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy or at an approved institution.
Article 76. §1. A Faculty of Theology has the special duty of taking care of the scientific theological formation of those preparing for the priesthood and those who are preparing to hold some particular ecclesiastical office; therefore, it is necessary that there be a suitable number of priest teachers.
§2. For this purpose, special courses suitable for seminarians should be offered. It is also appropriate for the Faculty itself to offer the “pastoral year” required for the priesthood, in addition to the five-year basic cycle. At the end of this year, a special Diploma may be conferred.
Article 79. §1. With regard to the studies prescribed for the first cycle, the Faculty may make use of the studies done in another Faculty and which it can acknowledge as responding to its needs.
§2. The second cycle concludes with the Licentiate and the third with the Doctorate.
§3. The Plan of Studies of the Faculty is to define the special requirements for the conferring of the academic degrees, observing the prescriptions of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Article 81. §1. An Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy has the aim of investigating philosophical problems according to scientific methodology, basing itself on a heritage of perennially valid philosophy.88 It has to search for solutions in the light of natural reason and, furthermore, it has to demonstrate their consistency with the Christian view of the world, of man, and of God, placing in a proper light the relationship between philosophy and theology.
§2. Then, the students are to be instructed so as to make them ready to teach and to fill other suitable intellectual posts as well as to prepare them to promote Christian culture and to undertake a fruitful dialogue with the people of our time.
Article 89. §1. Each University or Faculty must, before December 8, 2019, present its Statutes and Plan of Studies, revised according to this Constitution, to the Congregation for Catholic Education.
§2. Any modifications to the Statutes or Plan of Studies require the approval of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Article 93. §1. It is the task of the Congregation for Catholic Education, when, with the passage of time, circumstances shall require it, to propose changes to be introduced into this Constitution, so that this same Constitution may be continuously adapted to the new needs of Ecclesiastical Faculties.
§2. Only the Congregation for Catholic Education can dispense from observing any article of this Constitution or Norms of Application, or from the approved Statutes and Plan of Studies of each University or Faculty.
In fact, as my Predecessor Pope Pius XI recalled in the preface to the Apostolic Constitution Deus Scientiarum Dominus,93 there arose within the Church, from her earliest period, didascaleia for imparting instruction in Christian wisdom so that people’s lives and conduct might be formed. From these houses of Christian wisdom the most illustrious Fathers and Doctors of the Church, teachers and ecclesiastical writers, drew their knowledge.
From this assiduous contact with reality, theologians are also encouraged to seek a more suitable way of communicating doctrine to their contemporaries working in other various fields of knowledge, for “the deposit of faith, or the truths contained in our venerable doctrine, is one thing; quite another is the way in which these truths are formulated, while preserving the same sense and meaning.”99 This will be very useful so that among the People of God religious practice and uprightness of soul may proceed at an equal pace with the progress of science and technology, and so that, in pastoral work, the faithful may be gradually led to a purer and more mature life of faith.
Article 1. §1. The norms on Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties are also to be applied to the other institutions of higher education, taking into account their particular nature, congrua congruis referendo, which have been canonically erected or approved by the Holy See with the right to confer academic degrees by the authority of the same See.
§2. Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties, as well as the other institutions of higher education, are normally subject to evaluation by the Holy See’s Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO).
Article 7. §1. In preparing the Statutes and Plan of Studies, the norms in Appendix I of these Norms of Application must be kept in mind.
§2. In accordance with the procedures established in the Statutes, Universities and Faculties can, on their own authority, establish By-Laws that, while following the Statutes, define in more detail matters relating to their constitution, governance and procedures.
Article 8. §1. The canonical value of an academic degree means that such a degree enables one to assume an office in the Church for which a degree is required. This is, first of all, for teaching sacred sciences in Faculties, major seminaries, or equivalent institutions.
§2. The conditions to be fulfilled for the recognition of individual degrees mentioned in article 9 of the Apostolic Constitution, besides the consent of the relevant local or regional ecclesiastical authorities, concern, first of all, the college of teachers, the Plan of Studies, and the means to support scientific work.
§3. Degrees thus recognized, for certain canonical effects only, may never be considered simply as equal to academic canonical degrees.
Article 15. §1. According to the Constitution, a Rector is one who presides over a University; a President is one who presides over an Institute or a Faculty sui iuris; a Dean is one who presides over a Faculty which is a part of a University; Director is one who presides over an academic institute that is aggregated or incorporated.
§2. The Statutes are to fix a term of office for these offices and are to determine in what way and how many consecutive times their term can be renewed.
Article 18. §1. Teachers who are permanently attached to a Faculty are, in the first place, those who are assumed in full and firm right and who are called Ordinary Professors. Next come Extraordinary Professors. It can also be useful to have others, according to university practice.
§2. Faculties must have a minimum number of permanent teachers: twelve for the Faculty of Theology (and, if necessary, at least three with the required degrees in philosophy, q.v. Norms of Application, article 57); seven for the Faculty of Philosophy; and five for the Faculty of Canon Law. Moreover, there must be either five or four in Higher Institutes of Religious Sciences, depending on whether the Institute has both the first and second cycle, or only the first cycle. All other Faculties must have at least five permanent teachers.
§3. Besides permanent teachers, there are usually others who are designated by various titles, in the first place those invited from other Faculties.
§4. Finally, to carry out certain academic functions it is also opportune to have Assistants, who must possess an appropriate degree.
Article 19. §1. By a suitable Doctorate is meant one that corresponds to the discipline to be taught.
§2. In the Faculties of Theology and Canon Law, if the discipline is sacred or connected with the sacred, the Doctorate must normally be canonical. In the event that the Doctorate is not canonical, at least the canonical Licentiate is required.
§3. In all other Faculties, if the teacher has neither a canonical Doctorate nor a canonical Licentiate, he or she can be appointed as a permanent teacher only on condition that his or her formation is coherent with the identity of an Ecclesiastical Faculty. In evaluating candidates for teaching posts, it will be necessary to pay heed not only to their necessary expertise in the area to which they are being assigned to teach, but also to whether their publications and teaching are consonant with, and adhere to, the truth that is transmitted by the faith.
Article 20. §1. Teachers belonging to other churches and ecclesial communities, co-opted according to the norms of competent ecclesiastical authority,103 require permission to teach from the Chancellor.
Article 21. §1. The Statutes must establish when a permanent status is conferred in relationship with the obtaining of the nihil obstat that must be procured in accordance with article 27 of the Constitution.
§2. The nihil obstat of the Holy See is the declaration that, in accordance with the Constitution and the special Statutes, there appears nothing to impede a nomination which is proposed, but it does not, of itself, confer a right to teach. If some impediment should exist, this will be communicated to the Chancellor who will listen to the teacher in regard to the matter.
§3. If particular circumstances of time or place impede the requesting of the nihil obstat from the Holy See, the Chancellor is to take counsel with the Congregation for Catholic Education to find a suitable solution.
§4. In Faculties which are under special concordat law the established norms are to be followed and, if they exist, those particular norms decreed by the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Article 23. §1. Teachers, first of all the permanent ones, are to seek to collaborate with each other. It is also recommended that there be collaboration with the teachers of other Faculties, especially those with subjects that have an affinity or some connection with those of the Faculty.
§2. One cannot be at one and the same time a permanent teacher in more than one Faculty.
Article 24. §1. The Statutes are to set out with care the procedure in regard to the suspension or removal of a teacher, especially in matters concerning doctrine.
§3. However, in more grave or urgent cases, for the good of the students and the faithful, the Chancellor can suspend the teacher for the duration of the regular procedure.
§2. Since the studies required before entry into a University differ from one country to another, the Faculty has the right and duty to investigate from the documentation whether all the disciplines have been studied which the Faculty itself considers necessary.
§4. If one of the disciplines has been found not to have been studied or to have been studied in an insufficient way, the Faculty is to require that this be made up at a suitable time and verified by an examination.
Article 33. §1. The lectures and practical exercises are to be suitably distributed so as to foster private study and personal work under the guidance of the teachers.
§2. Part of the courses can be realized by distance learning, if the Plan of Studies approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education foresees it and specifies its conditions, especially as regards the examinations.
Article 34. §1. The Statutes or Rule of the University or of the Faculty are also to determine in what way the examiners are to make their judgments about candidates.
§2. In the final judgment about the candidates for the individual academic degrees, account is to be taken of all the marks received in the various tests in the same cycle, whether written or oral.
§3. In the examinations for the giving of degrees, especially the Doctorate, it is also useful to invite examiners from outside the Faculty.
Article 36. §1. The Statutes are to establish the necessary requisites for the preparation of the doctoral dissertation and the norms for its public defence and publication.
§2. Publishing the dissertation electronically is admissible, if the Plan of Studies foresees it and determines its conditions, in such a way that the dissertation be permanently accessible.
Article 46. §1. To provide for continuous good administration, the academic authorities must inform themselves at set times about the financial situation and they must provide for careful, periodic audits.
§2. The Rector or President is to transmit an annual report to the Chancellor on the economic situation of the University or Faculty.
Article 47. §1. Suitable ways should be found so that tuition fees do not prevent access to academic degrees for intellectually gifted students who give good hope of one day being most useful to the Church.
§2. Therefore care must be taken to set up for the students’ benefit particular forms of economic subsidy, funded by the Church, civil authorities or privately.
§2. The Congregation for Catholic Education - after listening to the advice both of the Bishops’ Conference and of the diocesan or eparchial Bishop, mainly from the pastoral viewpoint, and next of experts, principally from nearby Faculties, mainly from the scientific viewpoint - will decide about the suitability of a new erection.
b) after the conditions stated in article 48, §1, under b) and c) are fulfilled.
Article 51. §1. Aggregation is the linking of some Institute with a Faculty, and embraces only the first and second cycles, for the purpose of granting the corresponding academic degrees through the Faculty.
§2. Incorporation is the insertion of some Institute into a Faculty, which embraces either the second or third cycle or both, for the purpose of granting the corresponding academic degrees through the Faculty.
§3. Aggregation and incorporation cannot be granted unless the Institute is adequately equipped to pursue those specific academic degrees, in such a way that there is a well-founded hope that, through the connection with the Faculty, the desired ends will be achieved.
Article 52. §1. Cooperation is to be fostered among the Ecclesiastical Faculties themselves by means of teacher exchanges, mutual communication of scientific work, and the promoting of common research for the benefit of the People of God.
Article 54. In presenting doctrine, those norms are to be followed which are in the documents of the Second Vatican Council,109 as well as those found in more recent documents of the Holy See110 insofar as these pertain to academic studies.
a) – The philosophical disciplines needed for theology, which are above all systematic philosophy and the history of philosophy (ancient, medieval, modern, contemporary). Besides a general introduction, the systematic teaching must include the main areas of philosophy: 1) metaphysics (understood as philosophy of being and natural theology), 2) philosophy of nature, 3) philosophy of man, 4) moral and political philosophy, 5) logic and philosophy of knowledge.
– Excluding the human sciences, the strictly philosophical disciplines (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 66, 1, a) must constitute at least 60% of the number of credits in the first two years. Each year must include a number of credits suited to one year of full-time university studies.
– It is highly preferable that the philosophy courses be concentrated in the first two years of philosophical-theological formation. Within this two-year period, these philosophical studies, which are undertaken in view of theology studies, will be integrated with the introductory theology courses.
Article 57. The number of professors who teach philosophy must be at least three, who have the required degrees in philosophy (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 19 and 67 §2). They must be permanent, i.e. dedicated full-time to the teaching of philosophy and to research in that field.
Article 62. §1. Students who successfully completed the philosophical-theological curriculum in a major seminary or in a theological faculty can be admitted immediately into the second cycle, unless the Dean deems it necessary or opportune, prior to their admittance, to require that they take a preliminary course in Latin or in the fundamental concepts of canon law.
§2. Students who hold an academic degree in civil law may be dispensed from some courses of the second cycle (such as Roman law and civil law), but may not be exempt from the three-year curriculum of studies for the Licentiate.
§3. After completing the second cycle, students must know Latin in such a way as to be able to understand thoroughly the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, as well as the other canonical documents. In the third cycle, as well as the knowledge of Latin necessary so that they can interpret correctly the sources of law, they must also know the other languages necessary for writing their dissertation.
Article 64. §1. The research and teaching of philosophy in an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy must be rooted in the “philosophical patrimony which is perennially valid,”111 which has developed throughout the history, with special attention being given to the work of Saint Thomas Aquinas. At the same time, the philosophy taught in an Ecclesiastical Faculty must be open to the contributions that more recent research has provided and continues to offer. One must emphasize the sapiential and metaphysical dimensions of philosophy.
§2. In the first cycle, philosophy is to be taught in such a way that the students in the basic cycle will come to a solid and coherent synthesis of doctrine, will learn to examine and judge the different systems of philosophy, and will also gradually become accustomed to personal philosophical reflection.
§3. If students of the first cycle of theological studies attend first-cycle courses in the Faculty of Philosophy, care must be taken to safeguard the specific nature of the content and purpose of each educational track. At the end of the philosophical formation, an academic degree in philosophy is not awarded (q.v. V.G., art. 74 a), but the students can ask for a certificate attesting to the courses they have attended and the credits they have obtained.
§4. The formation acquired in the first cycle can be completed in the successive cycle, where one begins to specialize via greater concentration on one area of philosophy and greater dedication of the student to philosophical reflection.
– A general introduction which aims, in particular, at showing the sapiential dimension of philosophy.
– The main philosophical disciplines: 1) metaphysics (understood as philosophy of being and natural theology), 2) philosophy of nature, 3) philosophy of man, 4) moral and political philosophy, 5) logic and philosophy of knowledge. Given the particular importance of metaphysics, an adequate number of credits must be accorded to this discipline.
– The history of philosophy: ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary. Careful examination of the various currents of thought are to be accompanied, when possible, by the reading of texts of the more important authors. Depending on requirements, a study of local philosophies is to be added.
– A study of the relationship between reason and Christian faith – that is, between philosophy and theology – from a systematic and historical point of view, paying attention to safeguarding both the autonomy of each field as well as their interconnection.
– Latin, so as to be able to understand the philosophical works (especially of Christian authors) written in that language. The student’s knowledge of Latin must be verified within the first two years.
– A modern language other than one’s mother-tongue, the knowledge of which must be verified before the end of the third year.
– An introduction to the methodology of study and of scientific research, which serves also as an introduction to the use of research tools and the practice of disputation.
– Principles of some of the human sciences or some of the natural sciences (for example, psychology, sociology, history, biology or physics). In a particular way, care must be taken to establish a connection between the sciences and philosophy.
– Some other optional philosophical disciplines: for example, philosophy of science, philosophy of culture, philosophy of art, philosophy of technology, philosophy of language, philosophy of law or philosophy of religion.
– some special disciplines established in various sections, according to the diverse specializations offered, along with practical exercises and seminars, including special Licentiate dissertation.
– Beginners or advanced ancient Greek, or a second modern language other than that required for the first cycle or an advanced study of the same.
Article 67. §1. The faculty must employ, on a full-time basis, at least seven duly qualified teachers, who thus can ensure the teaching of each of the obligatory basic subjects (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 66, 1; art. 48, §1, b).
§2. A teacher is qualified to teach in an Ecclesiastical institution if he or she has obtained the necessary academic degrees from an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 19).
§3. If the teacher possess neither a canonical Doctorate nor a canonical Licentiate, he or she may be appointed as permanent teacher only on the condition that his or her philosophical training is consistent with the content and method that is set forth in an Ecclesiastical Faculty. In evaluating candidates for teaching positions in an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy, the following must be considered: the necessary expertise in their assigned subject; an appropriate openness to the whole of knowledge; adherence, in their publications and teaching, to the truth taught by the faith; an adequately deepened knowledge of the harmonious relationship between faith and reason.
§4. It is necessary to ensure always that, in an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy, the majority of permanent teachers holds an ecclesiastical Doctorate in philosophy, or else an ecclesiastical Licentiate in a sacred science together with a Doctorate in philosophy obtained in a non-Ecclesiastical University.
Article 69. §1. Given the reform of the three-year first cycle of ecclesiastical philosophical studies, which concludes with the Baccalaureate in philosophy, the philosophical affiliation must be in conformity with what has been decreed for the first cycle regarding the number of years and the Plan of Studies (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 66, 1). The number of permanent teachers in an affiliated Institute of philosophy must be at least five, with the required qualifications (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 67).
§2. Given the reform of the two-year second cycle of ecclesiastical philosophical studies, which concludes with the Licentiate in philosophy, the philosophical aggregation must be in conformity with what has been decreed for the first and second cycles regarding the number of years and the Plan of Studies (q.v. V.G., art. 74 a and b; Norms of Appl., art. 66). The number of permanent teachers in an aggregated Institute of philosophy must be at least six, with the required qualifications (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 67).
§3. Given the reform of the philosophy course as part of the first cycle of philosophy-theology studies, which concludes with the Baccalaureate in theology, the philosophy formation given in an affiliated Institute of theology must be in conformity with what has been decreed with regard to the Plan of Studies (q.v. Norms of Appl., art. 55, 1). The number of permanent teachers of philosophy must be at least two.
1 Cf. Augustine, Conf. X, 23.33; I, 1, 1.
2 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 22.
3 Sapientia Christiana, Foreword, III.
4 Video Message to Participants in an International Theological Congress held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, 1-3 September 2015.
15 Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 42.
16 Cf. ibid., 54; Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 1.
17 Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 33.
19 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Ch. 5.
21 Cf. Address to the Fifth National Convention of the Italian Church, Florence, 10 November 2015.
22 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 55.
23 Cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 139.
26 Ibid., 53; cf. No. 105.
28 Address to the Community of the Pontifical Gregorian University, together with Members of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, 10 April 2014: AAS 106 (2014), 374.
29 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 11; 34 ff.; 164-165.
32 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 111.
33 Cf. Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy Misericordiae Vultus, 11 April 2015.
34 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 87 and 272.
36 Cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 49.
37 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Ch. 4.
38 Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 52; cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 178.
39 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 195.
40 Cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 240.
41 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 239.
42 Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 4.
43 Foreword, III, cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 62.
44 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 74.
46 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 134.
47 The Idea of a University, Discourse VII, 7.
48 Cf. Delle cinque piaghe della Santa Chiesa, a cura di A. Valle, (Opere di Antonio Rosmini, vol 56) Città Nuova Ed., Roma 1998 2, Ch. II, passim.
51 Video Message to the International Theological Congress held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina “Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires,” 1-3 September 2015.
52 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 236.
53 John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, 6 January 2001, 40.
55 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 116.
56 Catechesis, 26 April 2006.
57 Video Message to the International Theological Congress held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina “Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires,” 1-3 September 2015, with reference to Evangelii Gaudium, 115.
58 Letter to the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina for the Hundredth Anniversary of the Faculty of Theology, 3 March 2015.
59 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 227-228.
61 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 133.
62 Cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 47; Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 50.
63 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 45.
66 Video Message to the International Theological Congress held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina “Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires,” 1-3 September 2015.
67 Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 202.
68 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 278.
69 Cf. CIC can. 815.
70 Cf. CIC can. 817; CCEO can. 648.
71 Cf. John Paul II, Apost. Const. Ex Corde Ecclesiae, art. 1, §2: AAS 82 (1990) 1502.
72 Cf. CIC can. 816, §1; CCEO can. 649; John Paul II, Apost. Const. Pastor Bonus, art. 116, §2: AAS 80 (1988) 889.
73 Cf. CIC can. 817 and CCEO can. 648.
74 Cf. Motu proprio, Sedula Cura: AAS 63 (1971) 665 ff. and also the Decree of the Pontifical Biblican Commission Ratio Periclitandae Doctrinae: AAS 67 (1975) 153 ff.
75 Cf. CIC can. 816 §2; CCEO can. 650.
76 Cf. CIC cann. 810 §1 and 818.
77 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 25 (November 21, 1965): AAS 57 (1965) 29-31; also the Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian Donum Veritatis (May 24, 1990): AAS 82 (1990), 1550-1570.
78 Cf. CIC can. 833, 7°.
79 Cf. CIC can. 152; CCEO can. 942.
80 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 59: AAS 58 (1966) 1080.
81 Cf. CIC can. 816 §1; CCEO cann. 648-649.
82 Cf. CIC can. 820.
83 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum 24: AAS 58 (1966) 827.
84 Cf. Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian Donum Veritatis, May 24, 1990, AAS 82 (1990) 1552.
85 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis, 10: AAS 58 (1966) 737; cf. Encyclical Veritatis Splendor (August 6, 1993): AAS 85 (1993) 1133 ff.; Encyclical Fides et Ratio (September 14, 1998): AAS 91 (1999) 5 ff.
86 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 22: AAS 58 (1966) 973 ff.
87 Cf. Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism: AAS 85 (1993) 1039 ff.
88 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on Priestly Formation Optatam Totius, 15: AAS 58 (1966) 722.
89 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 43 ff.: AAS 58 (1966) 1061 ff.
90 Cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 19-20: AAS 68 (1976) 18 f.
91 Cf. Ibid., 18: AAS 68 (1976) 17 f., and also Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 58: AAS 58 (1966) 1079.
92 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis, 10: AAS 58 (1966) 737.
93 AAS 23 (1931) 241.
94 AAS 42 (1950) 387.
95 Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis, 10: AAS 58 (1966) 737.
97 Ibid., 11: AAS 58 (1966) 738.
98 Cf. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 62: AAS 58 (1966) 1083.
99 Pope John XXIII, Allocution at the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council: AAS 54 (1962) 792; cf. also Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 62: AAS 58 (1966) 1083.
100 Pope Paul VI, Letter “Le transfert à Louvain - la – Neuve” to the Rector of the Catholic University of Louvain, September 13, 1975 (L’Osservatore Romano, September 22-23, 1975). Cf. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis, 19: AAS 71 (1979) 305 ff.
101 Cf. Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis, 11: AAS 58 (1966) 738.
102 Cf. CIC can. 833, 7°.
103 Cf. Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (1993), nn. 191 ff.: AAS 85 (1993), 1107 ff.
104 Cf. Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (1993), n. 192: AAS 85 (1993), 1107-8.
105 Cf. Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (1993), n. 195: AAS 85 (1993), 1109.
106 Cf. CIC cann. 1732-1739; CCEO cann. 996-1006; CIC can. 1445 §2; John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, art. 123, AAS 80 (1988) 891-892.
107 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on Priestly Formation Optatam Totius, 13: AAS 58 (1966), 721 and the Chirograph of Pope Paul VI Romani Sermonis: AAS 68 (1976), 481 ff.
108 Cf. CIC can. 816 §2; CCEO can. 650.
109 See especially Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum: AAS 58 (1966) 713 ff.
110 See especially the Letter of Pope Paul VI Lumen Ecclesiae, about St. Thomas Aquinas, of November 20, 1974: AAS 66 (1974) 673 ff. Also see the circular letters of the Congregation for Catholic Education: on the Theological Formation of Future Priests, February 22, 1976, on Canon Law Studies in Seminaries, March 1, 1975; on Philosophical Studies, January 20, 1972; Instruction on Liturgical Formation, June 3, 1979; Instruction on the Means of Social Communication, March 19, 1986; on the Social Doctrine of the Church, December 30, 1988; on the Study of the Fathers of the Church, November 10, 1989; and on Education on Matters regarding Marriage and the Family, March 19, 1995.
111 Cf. CIC can. 251 and Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decr. Optatam Totius, n. 15.
112 See especially Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on Priestly Formation Optatam Totius: AAS 58 (1966) 713 ff., and the Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis: AAS 58 (1966) 728 ff.
113 See especially the letter of Pope Paul VI on St. Thomas Aquinas Lumen Ecclesiae of November 20, 1974: AAS 66 (1974) 673 ff.; the Circular letter of the Congregation for Catholic Education, On the Study of Philosophy in Seminaries, January 20, 1972; Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio: AAS 91 (1999) 5 ff.; id., Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor: AAS 85 (1993) 1133 ff. – insofar as they also concern academic studies.

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