Original scientific paper

Catholic Universities (Cann. 807-814)

Josip Šalković ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Based on Canon the author determines the object of this article Catholic universities through a legal perspective in light of the provision of valid Code of Canon Law (Cann. 907-814) and the Ex corde Ecclesiae Apostolic Constitution (15 August 1990).
The Church that Christ entrusted the mission of faith (depositum fidei), has a holy duty to preserve the revealed truth, to research it, faithfully proclaim and interpret it. That right of the Church is natural and independent (Can. 747, § 1). When proclaiming Christian doctrine the Church needs to employ various means (Can. 761), amongst which a significant means of proclamation are infact Catholic universities (Cann. 807-814). The Church has always paid great significance to tertiary education and so founding and running universities has long been a tradition. Today the Church emphasises its right to found and run universities and other tertiary institutions with three founding contributory objectives: raising human culture; more complete promotion of the human being; a service of teaching of the Church itself. The fundamental mission of Catholic universities is to continually search for the truth through research, preserving and passing on knowledge to the benefit of the Church and society. Valid legal norms about Catholic universities enable a recognisable identity and mission where universities should offer a unique vision of the world and mankind in light of Christian revelation. Catholic universities are a place where we can seek the answers to fundamental questions concerning the human being and community in the field of economics, politics, law, culture, science, theology and finding a purpose.
The provisions contained in Code of Canon Law (Cann. 807-814) and the Ex corde Ecclesiae Apostolic Constitution need to be applied concretely at the local and regional level, adapting them as far as possible to civil laws in individual countries. We need to firmly believe and hope that the recently founded Catholic University in Croatia, seated in Zagreb, will be capable of maintaining high scientific criteria and at the same time nurture its Catholic identity and execute its mission to serve the Church and society.

Keywords

Code of Canon Law (1983); teaching authority of the Church; Ex corde Ecclesiae Apostolic Constitution; Catholic universities; institutions of higher education

Hrčak ID:

22537

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/22537

Publication date:

25.2.2008.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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