''Veritatis gaudium'' (''The Joy of Truth'')
is an
apostolic constitution on
ecclesiastical universities and faculties.
It was signed by
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
on 8 December 2017
and was
promulgated
Promulgation is the formal proclamation or the declaration that a new statutory or administrative law is enacted after its final approval. In some jurisdictions, this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect.
After a new law ...
on 29 January 2018.
[ The document is 87 pages in length.][ The new norms took legal effect on the first day of the 2018-2019 academic year or of the 2019 academic year, depending on the school year of particular institutions.][
]
Scope
The document deals only with ecclesiastical universities and faculties,[ which are distinguished from Catholic institutions of higher education generally in that they offer degrees granted by authority of the ]Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
. '' Ex corde ecclesiae'' is not affected by the new document and remains unchanged.[ It replaces the norms of the apostolic constitution ''Sapientia christiana'', promulgated by ]Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
on 15 April 1979.[ The document obrogates all ]laws
Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...
, customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
, and privileges contrary to ''Veritatis gaudium''.[Veritatis gaudium]
Art. 94. Accessed 29 January 2018.
Structure
The first part ("common norms") deals with the nature and purpose of ecclesiastical universities and faculties. The second part ("special norms") deals with specific norms regarding faculties of theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing t ...
, canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is t ...
, and philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. S ...
.
Innovations
The document makes provision for "distance learning", something which had not existed at the time of ''Sapientia christiana''. The document also makes provision for refugees and migrants for whom production of the requisite academic verifications would be impossible.[
]
References
External links
Veritatis gaudium
English text, Vatican.va
Veritatis gaudium
English text (Vatican approved), Zenit.org
{{Pope Francis , state = expanded
Catholic education
2018 documents
Apostolic constitutions of Pope Francis
Latin texts
2018 in law
2018 in Vatican City