Moscow, 25 April 2003 – The former "Saint Thomas Aquinas College" in Moscow has obtained a new Certificate from the City Government of Moscow. This official recognition, under the new name of "St. Thomas Institute of Philosophy, Theology and History", marks the further accreditation of the existing college and means a new step in the normalisation of religious life in the Russian Federation. The certificate allows the Institute to organise courses on fundamental religious studies and Catholic theology.
| The Institute will continue and even increase the teachings and services of the former College that was founded by Polish priest Tadeusz Pikus in 1991. Shortly after his appointment as Apostolic Administrator for Catholics of the Latin Rite in European Russia in July 1991, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz started expanding a Catholic academic formation which included theological, philosophical, historical, social, artistic and linguistic knowledge. Initially the "St. Thomas Aquinas College of Theology, History and Philosophy" was run by the Archdiocese of Moscow. In 1999, the reigns of the College was handed over to the Society of Jesus. Since then it has been run by the Jesuits. The present Rector is Mexican Jesuit Octavio Vilches-Landin. |
|
|
Rector Octavio Vilches-Landin SJ |
|
The 2002-2003 academic year started with 76 students, belonging to different Christian denominations and almost all lay people. The staff numbers 43 professors. The academic program of studies is broken up into six main units: philosophy, theology, Holy Scripture, history of the Church and Church art, social sciences and ancient and modern languages.
A publishing house is linked to the Institute and tries to answer the lack of books on religious matters, especially on theology, spirituality and science. The Institute's journal "Tochki" (Puncta or Points) addresses to a wide circle of readers who are interested in issues concerning the spiritual and cultural development of humankind, the study of historic and religious experience, and the lessons which are gained by contact and cooperation between different cultures.
Special attention is given in the last few years to the development of the library. The building has sufficient space to house up to 70,000 books. Recently it got important donations from Jesuits and their friends in Europe and from individual scholars. Also non-students are making use of the library resources.
...Reported by Olvin
Veigas SJ <olvinveigas@jesuits.net>
Les débuts de la région indépendante... la plus étendue de la Compagnie
More about the Jesuits in Russia: www.jesuit.ru