Pontifial University Of St Thomas Aquinas

Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Rome, Italy

Overview

www.angelicum.org

If the very first universities were born ex corde Ecclesiae (from the heart of the Church), studying in the heart of Rome at a pontifical university is clearly an extraordinary opportunity—and one that is not out of reach for American students with a decided interest in serving the Church in some capacity. Pontifical universities—officially chartered by the Vatican to confer Vatican-approved degrees—are scattered throughout the world, with several concentrated in Rome. Most focus on theological disciplines and philosophy. Students and recent graduates of these universities tell us that studying in Rome can be very appealing. Lay students study alongside seminarians and priests, attending courses and lectures by some of the leading figures in the Church, often including Vatican officials and advisors. Outside the classroom, the intellect is almost overwhelmed by the senses, with the sights everywhere of the historical Church and the Roman Empire, as well as the liturgies, celebrations and audiences of the living Church. A few years in Rome offer a cultural and spiritual experience without comparison. But caution: study in Rome is not for everyone. The opportunities for English-speaking students are limited; most universities offer courses only in Italian, and even courses taught in English often require reading in other languages. The Pontifical Lateran University (usually called “the Lateran”), the Jesuits’ Pontifical Gregorian University (“the Grego-

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quick facts Founded: 1908 Type of institution: Pontifical university Setting: Urban Undergraduate enrollment: 523 Undergraduate cost: €1,320 (Tuition only, no room or board, for 2009-10) Undergraduate majors: Four

Five Key Points 1. Pontifical university in Rome offering Vatican-approved degrees. 2. English-only undergraduate programs in philosophy and theology. 3. Specialized studies without a core liberal arts foundation. 4. Interaction with Vatican officials and leading educators in Rome. 5. Very low-cost education overseas.

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rian”) and Opus Dei’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (“Santa Croce”) were recommended to us for American lay students, but require study in Italian. We therefore focus this profile on the only English-language option—which is also highly recommended. Aside from the language barrier, there are significant cultural distinctions that students should be prepared to accept. The pontifical universities (like many European universities) don’t offer the integrated liberal arts curriculum that we tend to favor in The Newman Guide; from the outset, students specialize in particular disciplines. The universities also offer little by way of student activities and culture, requiring a level of maturity and independence that Americans are not often prepared for right out of high school, especially when living in a foreign city. There is no such thing as Americanstyle residence life. Nevertheless, we spoke to several American students who are pleased with their experience at the Dominicans’ Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, more popularly known as “the Angelicum” in honor of the “Angelic Doctor of the Church.” It is the only pontifical university in Rome that offers a full first-cycle program (similar to a bachelor’s degree program) in English. Students in theology and philosophy can complete the entire three-year program with English-speaking professors. Students learn Italian during this first cycle and usually continue toward a license degree (after about five years) or a doctoral degree (after about eight years and a dissertation).

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The Angelicum has a broadly international student body, with about 1,200 students from 90 countries—especially the United States, India, Italy and Poland. In 2008-09, 43 percent of the nearly 700 theology students and 18 percent of the nearly 180 philosophy students were from North America. Depending on the program, roughly 20 to 25 percent of the students are lay persons. The school year is somewhat later than the standard American year. Classes begin in mid-October and run through the end of May. The 2009-10 tuition price is a bargain relative to American colleges: 1,320 Euros ($1,871 in U.S. dollars as of August 2009). Pay attention to additional fees for such things as the baccalaureate exam (110 Euros), fast-track applications (20 Euros) and late payment (100 Euros). Food and housing are relatively expensive and arranged independently by the student, although the university’s student affairs office will make recommendations.

Governance The Angelicum is sponsored by the Dominicans, known for their orthodoxy and expertise in Thomistic philosophy. Most of the faculty are Dominican priests, and about 80 priests live on campus. The chancellor (gran cancelliere) is Fr. Carlos Azpiroz Costa, O.P., an Argentinian and Master of the Order of Preachers since 2001. He earned his doctorate in canon law at the

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Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas

Angelicum and is a former professor in the canon law department. Fr. Charles Morerod, O.P., became rector (rector magnificus) of the Angelicum in September 2009, succeeding Fr. Joseph Agius, O.P. Father Morerod was previously dean of the university’s philosophy department and a theology professor. In April 2009, Pope Benedict XVI also named him secretary general of the International Theological Commission and consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. A native of Switzerland, Fr. Morerod edits the Thomistic journal Nova et Vetera and authored the book The Church and the Human Quest for Truth. He earned doctorates in theology from the University of Fribourg and in philosophy from the Catholic Institute of Toulouse.

Public Identity A visit to the campus of the Angelicum is a step back in time. The university is housed at the ancient Dominican monastery of Saints Domenic and Sixtus, with the classrooms and offices surrounding a courtyard in the middle. The campus includes a contemplation garden for quiet prayer. The interior of the university chapel— the old monastery church—is breathtaking by American standards while typical of older Roman churches. It is not used very often due to the lack of heating, but key annual liturgies are held there. The university also has a small Eucharistic Adoration chapel where students have prayed during normal class hours for more than eight years. The Newman Guide

The Angelicum is proud of its faculty, who include Fr. Wojciech Giertych, O.P., Theologian of the Papal Household, and Fr. Abelardo Lobato, O.P., former president of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas and the International Thomas Aquinas Society. And no alumnus is as celebrated as Pope John Paul II, who as Karol Wojtyla earned his doctorate in theology at the Angelicum in the late 1940s. The university has dedicated its first semester from October 2009 to January 2010 to the thought and life of Pope John Paul II with interdisciplinary courses and seminars, publication of a new edition of Wojtyla’s doctoral thesis with commentary, and a conference discussing his thesis and the environment of Rome in the 1940s. In the summer of 2010, students will participate in pilgrimages throughout Rome to study the life of Pope John Paul II as student and pope.

Academics Unlike liberal arts institutions, the Angelicum requires no core curriculum across departments. All students specialize, and lay students tend toward the philosophy and theology departments—which are also the only two that currently offer English-only classes during the first cycle. To get a liberal arts grounding, students will generally need at least a couple years at an American college or university before heading to Rome. Most likely they will not, however, be able to apply credits to Angelicum courses—often including philosophy and theology credits. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in 295

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the U.S. will often need to take more courses to obtain a pontifical bachelor’s degree. Several of our interviewees said this was one of the most difficult things to accept about study in Rome. The Angelicum’s other departments are canon law and social sciences. The latter is focused primarily on development in poorer countries, with mostly East European students and some Africans and Americans. The philosophy department—and to some extent the entire faculty—concentrates on the writings of Thomas Aquinas and

Thomistic philosophers, which suits many students just fine. Other students wanting to study a greater variety of philosophical approaches will complete the first cycle and then transfer to the Gregorian or elsewhere for their advanced studies. To earn the bachelor’s degree, philosophy students complete three years of coursework and must demonstrate mastery of Latin. The courses consider basic philosophical themes—man, God and the world—as well as the history of philosophy, with exposure to philosophers’ original works. The program

Message from the Rector Dear Parents and Prospective Students: The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (“Angelicum”) is the University of the Dominican Order in Rome. Our 1,200 students come from 90 countries, the two main countries being the United States and Italy. We are the only pontifical university in Rome with classes both in English and Italian. Our students are taught by 150 Dominican friars and sisters, diocesan clerics, men and women religious from a wide variety of congregations and lay professors from 30 different countries. What unifies the teaching of the four Faculties – Theology, Canon Law, Philosophy and Social Sciences – is the reference to the teaching of the Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas. Our students appreciate this as very valuable for their personal formation. The students also like the religious atmosphere of the University, the possibility to pray on campus and the family-like environment. Of course, Rome provides a unique experience of the universal Church. The most renowned alumnus of our University, the late John Paul II, stressed in his Encyclical Fides et Ratio the importance of a unified relationship between faith and reason. This is the very heart of St. Thomas Aquinas’ contribution to the life of the Church. Pope Benedict XVI refers to the same argument as essential for peace in the world and for the cultural presence of Catholics. It is our commitment to serve the Church in these lines with our teaching and research.

Yours in Christ,



Fr. Charles Morerod, O.P.

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includes courses in psychology and logic. Students attend class for about 15 to 18 hours per week, not including supplemental studies in Latin for students who need it. The theology department is reported to be orthodox, but a few students cautioned that some professors of biblical studies—not only at the Angelicum, but at most of the pontifical universities—still tend to rely on the historical-critical method of studying the Bible. This method of considering provable historical facts and social context has been denounced as too often lacking the perspective of faith, without which God’s divine plan and the Gospels cannot be fully appreciated. Our interviewees suggested that students without sufficient prior knowledge of theology and biblical scholarship may find it tricky to navigate the general introduction course and eight additional courses in scripture required for a bachelor’s degree. First-cycle theology students also take introductory courses in fundamental theology, moral theology, spirituality and even Church archaeology and history. A series of courses study the mystery of salvation according to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae. Specialized courses focus on grace, virtue and contemporary social justice issues. Students will begin to learn New Testament Greek and biblical Hebrew. Admission to the first-cycle theology program requires two years of prior study in philosophy. Angelicum’s philosophy department offers an intensive one-year program that satisfies this requirement but does not end in a

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degree. Only older students who have studies of at least three years of a college education can take advantage of the one-year course. Catholic colleges in the United States— including Christendom College and the Franciscan University of Steubenville, both recommended in The Newman Guide—have made arrangements with the Angelicum for specially designed programs, often part of their Rome semester programs. The Angelicum is open to more such arrangements; students should inquire with their host institutions. Although the former monastery that serves as the Angelicum’s campus is quaint, the facilities are older and less well-equipped than American college students are used to. The library requires a significant adjustment in expectations: Italian tariffs make books published outside the country extremely expensive, and so students are not permitted to borrow books. Instead, reading must be done in the library, or pages can be photocopied. Many of the books are in Italian and other languages; few are in English. A consortium allows students to access books at all the pontifical universities in Rome.

Spiritual Life With so many priests around, it is not surprising that the Angelicum offers many opportunities for Mass. regular confessions and spiritual counseling. But because students do not live on the campus, the most popular Masses are at midday during the week. Most students attend daily and Sunday Mass elsewhere. 297

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Residential Life The Angelicum does not provide student housing, and only the Dominicans live on campus. Most lay students rent or lease apartments in the historical district of Rome; the quaint Trastevere district is increasingly popular among university students for housing and nightlife. Some students prefer the beach towns about an hour away, which offer lowcost rental housing during the off-season. The university’s Office of Student Affairs helps students with information on affordable and available housing. The non-lay students are primarily religious men and women who live with their orders in Rome and outside the city. While many diocesan priests attend the Angelicum, a larger proportion study at the Gregorian and other universities.

The Community The Angelicum lies just on the eastern edge of the historic district of Rome, north of the ancient Roman Forum and within walking distance to the Colosseum. It is a safe area of the city, with restaurants and shops nearby. The campus is easily accessible by public transportation; it is near a subway station,

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and buses stop at the campus entrance. Students who prefer to walk are within a reasonable distance of the Vatican and the Trastevere district. Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport is about a hour’s drive from the Angelicum, depending on traffic. It is Italy’s largest airport, serving more than 35 million passengers a year, and hosts several major airlines from the United States.

The Bottom Line The appeal of studying in Rome is undeniable—at the Dominicans’ pontifical university, no less. The Angelicum offers an impressive and rigorous curriculum for students who are prepared to specialize in philosophy or theology, and to enjoy living independently in one of Europe’s most magnificent cities. It is not, however, a reasonable option for most American students. Families should carefully weigh students’ maturity level, need for a liberal arts foundation, and ability to benefit from a more typical Catholic campus environment before planning for an overseas education. If study at the Angelicum seems appropriate, students will find a faithful Catholic program awaiting them in the heart of the Eternal City.

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