The Belgian Pontifical College ( nl, Belgisch Pauselijk College; french: Collège ecclésiastique belge; it, Pontificio Collegio Belga) in Rome is a Belgian Catholic educational institution. Founded in 1844, the college is the residence for students sent by the Bishops of the Belgian dioceses to study in Rome.

History

The college was established in 1844 by the Belgian bishops, through the initiative of Monsignor Aerts, aided by

Vincenzo Pecci Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...

, the

Apostolic Nunciature to Belgium The Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium is the holder of a diplomatic position within the Catholic Church, who acts as Ambassador of the Holy See to the Belgium. Diplomatic relations between the Belgian state (1830) and the Holy See began in 1835. Until ...

, nuncio in Belgium, with the permission and support of

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...

. At first it was located in the home of Mgr. Aerts, rector of the Belgian national Church of S. Guiliano. In 1845 the ancient monastery of Gioacchino ed Anna at the Quattro Fontane was purchased. The Belgian episcopate supports the students and nominates the rector.Benigni, Umberto. "Roman Colleges." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 January 2016 It has been home to many famous residents, in particular the young

Karol Wojtyla 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 ...

residing here between 1946 and 1948 together with his friend

Gustaaf Joos Gustaaf Joos (; 5 July 1923 – 2 November 2004) was a prelate of the Diocese of Ghent, who was elevated to the Catholic College of Cardinals on 21 October 2003 by Pope John Paul II. Biography He studied with Karol Woytyla in the Belgian Pontif ...

. During his studies at Rome,

Leo Joseph Suenens Leo Jozef Suenens ( ) (16 July 1904 – 6 May 1996) was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels from 1961 to 1979, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1962. Suenens was a leading voice a ...

resided at the college and also served as the college librarian. Another famous resident was

Yves Congar Yves Marie-Joseph Congar (; 13 April 1904 – 22 June 1995) was a French Dominican friar, priest, and theologian. He is perhaps best known for his influence at the Second Vatican Council and for reviving theological interest in the Holy Spiri ...

Use

The college is the residence for students sent by the Bishops of the Belgian dioceses to study in Rome. It is also the main residence of the Belgian clergy when in Rome. The students participate in the

Clericus Cup The Clericus Cup is an annual association football tournament contested by teams from the Roman Colleges, which are seminaries of the Catholic Church located in Rome. During the fourth season (2010), the tournament involved sixteen schools and fie ...

Rectors

* 1844 - 1854 Mgr. Aerts, founder and first president * 1851 - 1854 Mgr. Jozef Sonneville * 1854 - 1868 unknown. * 1868 - 1872 Mgr. Petrus Sacré * 1872 - 1878 Mgr. Victor Van den Branden de Reeth * 1880 - 1927 Mgr. de t’Serclaes * 1927 - 1945 Mgr. Oscar Joliet * 1946 - 1949 Mgr. de Furstenberg * 1949 - 1962 Mgr. Jozef Devroede * 1962 - 1972 Mgr. Albert Prignon * 1972 - 1997 Mgr. Werner Quintens * 1997 - 2008 Mgr.

Johan Bonny Johan Jozef Bonny (Born 10 July 1955) is the 22nd Bishop of Antwerp, Belgium. Biography Johan Bonny was born in Moere (Gistel) in 1955. He is the oldest of five children from a farmer's family. He is the son of Gustaaf Bonny and Marie-Jeanne ...

* 2009 - current: Mgr. Dirk Smet

References

{{authority control Roman Colleges Catholic Church in Belgium Belgium–Holy See relations Educational institutions established in 1844 1844 establishments in the Papal States

History

Use

Rectors

See also

References