The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy ( la, Pontificia Ecclesiastica Academia, it, Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica) is one of the
Roman Colleges
The Roman Colleges, also referred to as the Pontifical Colleges in Rome, are institutions established and maintained in Rome for the education of future ecclesiastics of the Catholic Church. Traditionally many were for students of a particular nati ...
of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. The academy is dedicated to training priests to serve in the diplomatic corps and the
Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
Despite its name, the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy is not one of the ten
Pontifical Academies
A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...
of the Holy See.
The patron of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy is Saint
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great ( grc-gre, Ἀντώνιος ''Antṓnios''; ar, القديس أنطونيوس الكبير; la, Antonius; ; c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356), was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is d ...
.
History
The diplomatic service of the Holy See can be traced back to 325 AD when
Pope Sylvester I sent legates to represent him at the
First Council of Nicaea. The academy was created as the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles in 1701 by
Abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...
Pietro Garagni, in close collaboration with Blessed
Sebastian Valfrè
Sebastian Valfrè (9 March 1629 – 30 January 1710) was a Catholic priest and a member of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri. He is called the Apostle of Turin for his long years of service to the people of that city, where he served as the prov ...
of the
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...
Oratory.
Function
Located inside Palazzo Severoli on the
Piazza della Minerva in central Rome, the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy trains Catholic priests sent by their bishop from different parts of the world to study ecclesiastical and international diplomacy, particularly in order that the alumni may later be selected to serve in the Diplomatic posts 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 ...
—ultimately as a papal
nuncio, or ambassador. Many leaders of the church have been alumni of the academy, including Popes
Clement XIII,
Leo XII
Leo or Léo may refer to:
Acronyms
* Law enforcement officer
* Law enforcement organisation
* '' Louisville Eccentric Observer'', a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky
* Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Art ...
,
Leo XIII,
Benedict XV, and
Paul VI.
Students spend four years at the academy; three years earning a ''licentiate'' in
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 th ...
(J.C.L.) from a Roman University, then two years earning a doctorate in
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 th ...
(J.C.D.), or theology (S.T.D.) (normally at the
Pontifical Lateran University). If the students that have been recruited already have a J.C.D. then their time at the PEA is shortened to two years. The courses are usually in diplomatic history, languages and diplomatic writing and are considered not to be academic, but rather focus on the practical skills needed to serve as a diplomat. By the end of his studies, each student has to possess a working knowledge of at least two languages in addition to his mother tongue.
Revised requirements for those who enter the Academy beginning in 2020/2021 include a year of pastoral work in a missionary context.
The President of the academy is Archbishop
Joseph Marino, who was previously Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, East Timor, as well as Apostolic Delegate To Brunei. He succeeded Archbishop
Giampiero Gloder on 21 October 2019 when Archbishop Golder was named 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. ...
as Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba.
Presidents
See also
*
Global organisation of the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, th ...
*
Index of Vatican City-related articles
References
External links
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
{{coord, 41, 53, 53, N, 12, 28, 38, E, source:kolossus-plwiki, display=title
Catholic universities and colleges in Italy
Foreign relations of the Holy See
Diplomacy
1701 establishments in the Papal States
1701 establishments in Italy
Rome R. IX Pigna