Ecclesiastical university

An ecclesiastical university is a special type of higher education school recognised by the Canon law of the Catholic Church. It is one of two types of universities recognised, the other type being the Catholic university. Every single ecclesiastical university is a pontifical university, while only a few Catholic universities are pontifical.

Some independent institutions, schools or university faculties, even at non-pontifical universities, can be ecclesiastical institutes, ecclesiastical schools or ecclesiastical faculties and may also be given charters by the Holy See to grant ecclesiastical degrees, usually in one or two specific fields.

Ecclesiastical universities are licensed to grant ecclesiastical degrees in:

• Theology, including biblical studies and Church history
• Ecclesiastical Philosophy
• Canon Law

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 attorneys must at least be licentiates of canon law (J.C.L.).

Ecclesiastical universities and faculties

Argentina

• Facultades de Filosofía y Teología, San Miguel

Australia

• Catholic Institute of Sydney, Sydney

Brazil

• Faculdade Jesuíta de Filosofia e Teologia, Belo Horizonte

Cameroon

• Catholic Institute of Yaoundé, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaoundé

Canada

• Faculté de Théologie et de Sciences Religieuses, Université Laval, Québec
• Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto. It uniquely among all ecclesiastical faculties grants the licentiate in Medieval Studies (L.M.S., a post-doctorate earned degree), and the doctorate (M.S.D.) which is awarded on the basis of a career. It is an independent research institute at the University of Toronto.
• Regis College, University of Toronto, Toronto

Chile

• Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago.
• Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Valparaiso.

China

• Holy Spirit Seminary, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

• Facultés Catholiques de Kinshasa, Kinshasa

Croatia

• Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Zagreb, Zagreb

Dominican Republic

• Seminario Pontificio Santo Tomás de Aquino, Santo Domingo

France

• Institut Catholique de Paris, Paris
• Centre Sèvres, Paris

Germany

• Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology, Frankfurt

Hungary

• Faculty of Theology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest

India

• Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy and Religion, Pune
• Pontifical Institute of Theology and Philosophy, Alwaye, Kerala
• Pontifical Oriental Institute of Religious Studies, Kottayam
• St. Peter's Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Bangalore
• Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy and Theology, Bangalore
• Vidyajyoti Faculty of Theology, Dehli
• Satya Nilayam Institute of Philosophy and Culture, Chennai
• Faculty of Theology of Ranchi, Ranchi

Indonesia

• Wedabhakti Pontifical Faculty of Theology, Yogyakarta

Ireland

• Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy, Dublin.

Israel

• École Biblique (et Archéologique Française), Jerusalem
• Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Jerusalem

Italy

• Patristic Institute Augustinianum, Roma
• Marianum (Pontifical Institute for the study of Mariology), Roma
• Pontifical Biblical Institute, Roma
• Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Roma
• Pontifical Oriental Institute, Roma
• Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum, Roma
• John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences, Roma
• Pontificio Ateneo Sant Anselmo, Roma
• Pontifical North American College, Roma
• Pontificio Facoltà Teologica della Sardegna, Cagliari
• Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Milano

Lebanon

• Faculté de Théologie, Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik, Jounieh

Malta

• Faculty of Theology, Tal-Virtù

Nigeria

• Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt

Philippines

• The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, Manila; founded in 1611 - with three Ecclesiastical Faculties of Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law; and the Incorporated Institute of Consecrated Life, Asia, all of which are conferring ecclesiastical degrees in three cycles (Bachelor, Licentiate, Doctorate).
• Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City; A Faculty of Theology.

Poland

• Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Warsaw, Warsaw
• Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław, Wrocław
• Pontifical University of John Paul II, Wrocław

Spain

• Ecclesiastical University of San Dámaso, Madrid
• Theological Faculty of Catalonia, Barcelona

Switzerland

• Facoltà di Teologia di Lugano, Lugano
• Theologische Fakultät, University of Lucerne, Luzern
• Theologische Hochschule Chur, Chur

United Kingdom

• Mater Ecclesiae College, London. Formerly Heythrop College, University of London

United States

• Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (at Boston College), Brighton, MA
• Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception (at the Dominican House of Studies), Washington, DC
• Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (at Santa Clara University), Berkeley, CA
• The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute (at the University of Dayton), Dayton, OH
• Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, OH
• Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family (at The Catholic University of America), Washington, DC
• School of Canon Law (at the Catholic University of America), Washington, DC
• The School of Philosophy (at the Catholic University of America), Washington, DC
• School of Theology and Religious Studies (at the Catholic University of America), Washington, DC
• Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI - offers both the S.T.B. and S.T.L through its aggregation with Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy
• St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, Yonkers, NY – the seminary for the Archdiocese of New York grants bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) degrees under its charter as a satellite of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy.
• St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, MD
• Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology (at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake), Mundelein, IL

References