The Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (PUST), also known as the Angelicum or Collegio Angelico (in honor of its patron, the Doctor Angelicus Thomas Aquinas), is a pontifical university located in the historic center of Rome, Italy. The Angelicum is administered by the Dominican Order and is the order's central locus of Thomistic theology and philosophy.
The Angelicum is coeducational and offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology, philosophy, canon law, and social sciences, as well as certificates and diplomas in related areas. Courses are offered in Italian and some in English. The Angelicum is staffed by clergy and laity and serves both religious and lay students from around the world.
History The Angelicum has its roots in the Dominican mission to study and to teach truth. This mission is reflected in the order's motto, "Veritas". The distinctively pedagogical character of the Dominican apostolate as intended by Saint Dominic de Guzman in 1214 at the birth of the order, "the first order instituted by the Church with an academic mission",P. Mandonnet, "Order of Preachers", Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913. Accessed 31 December 2012. is succinctly expressed by another of the Order's mottos, contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere, (to contemplate and to bear the fruits of contemplation to others).This motto is a paraphrase of Thomas Aquinas' teaching on the perfection of the Dominican charism, Summa theologiae, III, 40, 1 ad 2: "Vita contemplativa simpliciter est melior quam activa quae occupatur circa corporales actus, sed vita activa secundum quam aliquis praedicando et docendo contemplata aliis tradit, est perfectior quam vita quae solum contemplatur, quia talis vita praesupponit abundantiam contemplationis. Et ideo Christus talem vitam elegit." Summa Theologica, II, II, 188, 6. Pope Honorius III approved the Order of Preachers in December 1216 and January 1217.See the papal bulls Religiosam vitam and Nos attendentes On 21 January 1217 the papal bull Gratiarum omniumOmnia disce: medieval studies in memory of Leonard Boyle, O.P.. A. Duggan, J. Greatrex, B. Bolton, L. E. Boyle, 2005, p. 202. confirmed the Order's pedagogical mission by granting its members the right to preach universally, a power formerly dependent on local episcopal authorization.J.-P. Renard, La formation et la désignation des prédicateurs au debut de l'Ordre des Prêcheurs, Freiburg, 1977.
Medieval origin (1222): the Santa Sabina studium conventuale Saint Dominic established priories focused on study and preaching that became the Order's first studia generalia, at the Parisian convent of St. Jacques in 1217, at Bologna in 1218, at Palencia and Montpellier in 1220, and at Oxford before his death in 1221. By 1219 Pope Honorius III had invited Dominic and companions to take up residence at the ancient Roman basilica of Santa Sabina, which they did by early 1220. In May 1220 at Bologna the Order's first General Chapter mandated that each convent of the Order maintain a studium.W. Hinnebusch, The Dominicans: A Short History, 1975, Ch. 1: "By requiring that each priory have a professor it laid the foundation for the Order's schools." Accessed 9 June 2011; Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Vol. 10, 701. "In each convent there was also a studium particulare." Accessed 9 June 2011 The official foundation of the Dominican studium conventuale at Rome, which would grow into the Angelicum, occurred with the legal transfer of the Santa Sabina complex from Pope Honorius III to the Order of Preachers on 5 June 1222.Bullarium Ordinis FF. Praedicatorum, Tomus Primus, Ab Anno 1215 ad 1280, 15; https://books.google.com/books?id=fTcNTiUqC9oC&pg=PA15 Accessed 13 March 2013: "Anno 1222, Die 5 Junii, Honorius Episcopus, Servus Servorum Dei, dilectis filiis Magistro, & Fratribus Ordinis Predicatorum, Salutem. & Apostlicam Benedictionem. Quia omnibus ex officio nostro, licet immeriti, presumus, merito vobis, qui vestro ministerio proficere cupitis universis, commoda, cum convenit, ministramus; ut sic Ministri Christi & dispensatores Mysteriorum Dei per nostrum ministerium honorentur. Cum igitur certum hospitium non haberetis in Urbe, ubi eo forsan plus prodesse potestis, quo ibi tam indigene, quam extranei congregantur: Nos tam vobis, quam multorum utilitati consulere cupientes, Ecclesiam S. Sabine, ad celebrandum, & domos, ad inhabitandum, sicut Seculares Clerici haburerunt, de consensu Fratrum nostrorum, & specialiter dilecti filii nostri tituli eiusdem Ecclesie Presbyteri Cardinalis, vobis duximus concedendam, domo ubi est Baptisterium cum horto proximo & reclusorio pro duobus Clericis reservato, qui de Parochia, & possessionibus ipsius Ecclesie, prout expediet, curam gerent, iure Cardinalis in omnibus integre conservato. Nulli ergo &c. Datum Rome Nonis junii, Pontificatus nostri Anno Sexto."; P. Mandonnet, St. Dominic and His Work, 1948, Ch. III, note 50: "If the installation at Santa Sabina does not date from 1220, at least it is from 1221. The official grant was made only in June, 1222 (Bullarium O.P., I, 15). But the terms of the bull show that there had been a concession earlier. Before that concession the Pope said that the friars had no hospitium in Rome. At that time St. Sixtus was no longer theirs; Conrad of Metz could not have alluded to St. Sixtus, therefore, when he said in 1221: "the Pope has conferred on them a house in Rome" (Laurent no. 136). It is possible that the Pope was waiting for the completion of the building that he was having done at Santa Sabina, before giving the title to the property, on 5 June 1222, to the new Master of the Order, elected not many days before." http://domcentral.org/blog/years-of-experimental-activity-1215-19/ Accessed=13 August 2013
St. Hyacinth of Poland and companions Bl. Ceslaus, Herman of Germany, and Henry of Moravia were among the first to study at the studium of Santa Sabina where "sacred studies flourished".Compendium Historiae Ordinis Praedicatorum, A.M. Walz, 1930, 214: "Conventus S. Sabinae de Urbe prae ceteris gloriam singularem ex praesentia fundatoris ordinis et primitivorum fratrum necnon ex residentia Romana magistrorum generalium, si de ea sermo esse potest, habet. In documentis quidem eius nonnisi anno 1222 nomen fit, ait certe iam antea nostris concreditus est. Florebant ibi etiam studia sacra." Accessed 9 April 2011; https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07591b.htm Accessed 17 February 2013. After receiving the religious habit from St. Dominic in 1220 and an abbreviated novitiate they became missionaries and spread the Order in their homelands.
From its beginning the Santa Sabina studium played the special role of frequently providing papal theologians from among its members. Since its institution in 1218 the office of Master of the Sacred Palace has always been entrusted to a Friar of the Order of Preachers. In 1218 Saint Dominic was appointed as the first Master of the Sacred Palace by Pope Honorius III. In 1246 Pope Innocent IV appointed Annibaldo degli Annibaldi (c. 1220 – 1272) third Master of the Sacred Palace after Saint Dominic and Bartolomeo di Breganze. Annibaldi had completed his initial studies at the Santa Sabina studium conventuale and was later sent to the studium generale at Paris.Pio Tomasso Masetti, Monumenta et antiquitates veteris disciplinae Ordinis Praedicatorum ab anno 1216 ad 1348, 1864, https://books.google.com/books?id=bM6wwPZorcAC&pg=PA315 Accessed 17 February 2013; "Fonti anche antiche affermano che l'A., entrato ancor giovane tra i domenicani nel convento romano di S. Sabina, dopo i primi studi - verosimilmente già sacerdote - fu inviato per i gradi accademici a Parigi e qui la sua presenza è accertata solo dopo il 1255." http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/annibaldo-annibaldi_(Dizionario-Biografico)/ Accessed 22 June 2011 Aquinas dedicated to Annibaldi the Catena aurea, which he wrote during his regency at the Santa Sabina studium beginning in 1265.
1265: studium provinciale
At the general chapter of Valenciennes in 1259 Thomas Aquinas together with masters Bonushomo Britto, Florentius, Albert, and Peter took part in establishing a program of studies for novices and lectors including two years of philosophy, two years of fundamental theology, church history and canon law, and four years of theology. Those who showed capacity were sent on to a studium generale to complete this course becoming lector, magister studentium, baccalaureus, and magister theologiae.Histoire littéraire de la France: XIIIe siècle, Volume 19, p. 103, https://books.google.com/books?id=LIYNAAAAQAAJ&dq=bonushomo&pg=PA103 Accessed 27 October 2012; Probably Florentius de Hidinio, aka Florentius Gallicus, Histoire littéraire de la France: XIIIe siècle, Volume 19, p. 104, Accessed 27 October 2012; Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 10, p. 701. Accessed 9 June 2011
The new formation program outlined at Valenciennes featured the study of philosophy as an innovation. "In the early days there was no need to study philosophy or the arts in the Order; young men entered already trained in the humanities at the university. St. Albert received his arts training at Padua, St. Thomas at Naples; they were prepared to study theology. By 1259, however, it became evident that youths entering the Order were not sufficiently trained; the new ratio studiorum of 1259 established studia philosophiae in certain provinces corresponding to the university faculty of arts."
In February 1265 newly elected Pope Clement IV summoned Aquinas to Rome as papal theologian.A Biographical Study of the Angelic Doctor, by P. Conway, 1911, "Part III: Evening"], Chapter VI, p. 62 https://archive.org/stream/StThomasAquinasOfTheOrderOfPreachers#page/n81/mode/2up - His Writings: Second Period, Accessed 2, Sept. 2015 That same year in accord with the injunction of the Chapter of the Roman province at Anagni, Aquinas was assigned as regent master at the studium at Santa Sabina: We assign Friar Thomas of Aquino to Rome, for the remission of his sins, there to take over the direction of studies."Fr. Thome de Aquino iniungimus in remissionem peccatorum quod teneat studium Rome." Acta Capitulorum Provincialium, Provinciae Romanae Ordinis Praedicatorum, Anagni, 1265, n. 12, in Corpus Thomisticum, http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/a65.html Accessed 8 April 2011; English trans. in Saint Thomas Aquinas of the Order of Preachers (1225-1274), A Biographical Study of the Angelic Doctor, by P. Conway, 63, https://archive.org/stream/saintthomasaquin00conwrich/saintthomasaquin00conwrich_djvu.txt Accessed 20 March 2013
With this assignment the studium at Santa Sabina, which had been founded in 1222, was transformed into the Order's first studium provinciale with courses under Aquinas' direction beginning 8 September 1265 and featuring studia philosophiae as prescribed by Aquinas and others at the 1259 chapter of Valenciennes.