Mathematics was considered to be a universal language that God used to write the book of nature. Many of the greatest mathematicians (such as Descartes, Leibniz, Euler, Cantor) saw their mathematical work as a way to have a clearer insight into the existence of God and His infinity, as well as to glorify His name. This paper explores the…

One of the identified causes for clericalism -- associated with the sex abuse crisis currently plaguing the Church -- is the closed seminary model that prevails in many parts of the world: all four pillars of formation of seminarians occurs in the seminary. This model, which has prevailed since the Council of Trent, encourages future priests to…

This study focuses on two major aspects of Jesuit pedagogy in Spain that should be held in mind in order to understand Jesuit educational transformations after the Second Vatican Council: Firstly (A), the theological renewal undertaken since the end of the 1960s, mainly by the Jesuit institute "Fe y Secularidad" founded in 1967 and the…

The institution of the seminary was established by the sixteenth century Council of Trent. Seminaries were charged with the formation of men for the priesthood. The character of seminary education was largely unchanged until the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). This article observes and comments upon the changes and developments over the past…

The much documented sociological and cultural developments which offered significant challenges to Catholic education in recent decades have played no small part in changing the composition of the Catholic teaching force. A weakening of religious practices and an increase in more personalised understandings of spirituality are now especially…

The effects of secularisation on society demand a rethinking of the identity and mission of Catholic schools in France. In 2013, the French bishops published a new directory which offers new approaches, described here, based on the three challenges facing Catholic education in France: linking social responsibility and evangelisation, setting up…

The paper explores Giovanni Franzoni's understanding of the Liberation Christ brought to our world, focusing on how this understanding was incarnated in his pastoral-educational initiatives with adults. In particular, it highlights some aspects of the pedagogy he used in these projects, showing how these pedagogical techniques were part and parcel…

This case study account reviews issues related to seminary formation and education at the Beda College, Rome, including Fundamentals of Formation, Community Life, Organizing Formation, Intellectual Formation, Spiritual Formation, Pastoral Formation, and the challenges arising in these fields.

The Congregation for Catholic Education is a part of the government of the Holy See. The genesis of this Dicastery can be traced to special commissions created by the Roman Pontiffs for maintaining vigilance over the universities in Rome and other educational institutions in the Papal States. A general overview of the history of the Congregation…

This article is an account of the actions and achievements, i.e. the "contribution", of the Ireland Province of the Vincentian Congregation, known officially as "the Congregation of the Mission", in respect of Catholic education in Ireland and England. The approach is, first, to outline the motives and intentions of the…

The following account reflects the life of the "Venerabile Collegio Inglese" (the Venerable English College) in Rome through the eyes of a seminarian aged 17 when he arrived at the College on 6 October 1955. During the three years he was a student at the Venerabile, he kept a daily diary. It is upon this, and upon the very detailed…