Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters

The Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters (Italian: Facoltà di Lettere Cristiane e Classiche; Latin: Facultas Litterarum Christianarum et Classicarum / Pontificium Institutum Altioris Latinitatis) is one of the six faculties of the Pontifical Salesian University (Università Pontificia Salesiana, UPS) in Rome. It is a specialized ecclesiastical higher-education institution dedicated to the study of Latin, ancient Greek, classical literature, and Christian patristic literature. Its origins lie in the Pontificium Institutum Altioris Latinitatis (Pontifical Institute of Higher Latin), established by Pope John XXIII on 22 February 1962 in implementation of the apostolic constitution Veterum sapientia. Two years later, on 22 February 1964, the institute was entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco by the motu proprio Studia Latinitatis of Pope Paul VI. On 4 June 1971 the institute was attached to the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome as the Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters. In 1990 the Congregation for Catholic Education, in its instruction on the study of the Fathers of the Church in priestly formation, ranked the faculty first among institutions specializing in patristics. The faculty offers a three-cycle curriculum: a six-semester baccalaureate, a four-semester licentiate, and a doctorate of at least four semesters, alongside special curricula for extraordinary students, preparatory courses in Latin and ancient Greek language and literature, postgraduate qualifications in classical-Christian, Byzantine and medieval humanities, and conferences and seminars in catechetical-patristic philology, education and literary history. Its website is hosted under the UPS domain at latinitas.unisal.it.

The Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters traces its origin to the Pontificium Institutum Altioris Latinitatis (Pontifical Institute of Higher Latin), founded by Pope John XXIII on 22 February 1962. The foundation implemented the apostolic constitution Veterum sapientia, which sought to strengthen the study of Latin in the Catholic Church. On 22 February 1964, two years after its establishment, the institute was entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco by the motu proprio Studia Latinitatis of Pope Paul VI. On 4 June 1971 the institute was attached to the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome as the Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters, becoming one of the university's six faculties. On 10 November 1990, the instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education Sullo studio dei Padri della Chiesa nella formazione sacerdotale listed the faculty in first place among institutions with a specialization in patristics. The faculty has since maintained a curriculum organized in three cycles — baccalaureate, licentiate and doctorate — together with special programs for extraordinary students, preparatory language courses, postgraduate qualifications, and academic conferences and seminars.

• 1990

  The Congregation for Catholic Education's instruction on the study of the Fathers of the Church in priestly formation ranks the faculty first among institutions specializing in patristics.

• 1971

  The institute is attached to the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome as the Faculty of Christian and Classical Letters.

• 1964

  The institute is entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco by the motu proprio Studia Latinitatis of Pope Paul VI.

• 1962

  Pope John XXIII founds the Pontificium Institutum Altioris Latinitatis (Pontifical Institute of Higher Latin) in implementation of the apostolic constitution Veterum sapientia.

A specialized pontifical faculty for Latin, Greek and patristic studies within the Salesian Pontifical University, ranked first among patristics institutions by the Congregation for Catholic Education in 1990.

• Baccalaureate (first cycle, six semesters)

• Licentiate (second cycle, four semesters)

• Doctorate (third cycle, at least four semesters)

• Special curricula for extraordinary students leading to a certificate

• Preparatory courses in Latin and ancient Greek language and literature

• Postgraduate qualifications in classical-Christian, Byzantine and medieval humanities

• Conferences, seminars and congresses in catechetical-patristic philology, education and literary history

1. 1Università Pontificia Salesianalatinitas.unisal.it
2. 2Facoltà di Lettere Cristiane e Classiche (Wikidata)wikidata.org
3. 3Fakultät für christliche und klassische Literaturwissenschaften (Wikipedia)de.wikipedia.org