Catholic university

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Chapel of the faculty of medicine of Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.

A Catholic university is a private university run by the Roman Catholic Church or by Roman Catholic organizations such as religious institutes. Those with closer[vague] ties to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical universities.

By definition, Catholic canon law states that "A Catholic school is understood to be one which is under control of the competent ecclesiastical authority or of a public ecclesiastical juridical person, or one which in a written document is acknowledged as Catholic by the ecclesiastical authority" (Can. 803). Although some schools are deemed "Catholic" because of their identity and a great number of students enrolled are Catholics, it is also stipulated in canon law that "no school, even if it is in fact Catholic, may bear the title 'Catholic school' except by the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority" (Can. 803 §3).

According to the census of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, the total number of Catholic universities and higher education institutions around the world is 1,358. The Dominican Order is "the first order instituted by the Church with an academic mission",[1] founding studia conventualia in every convent of the order, and studia generalia at the early European universities such as the University of Bologna and the University of Paris. The Catholic religious order with the highest number of universities around the world today is the Society of Jesus with 114.[2]

Like other private schools, Catholic colleges and universities are generally nondenominational, in that they accept anyone regardless of religion or denominational affiliation, race or ethnicity, nationality, or civil status, provided the admission or enrollment requirements and legal documents are submitted, and rules & regulations are obeyed for a fruitful life on campus. However, non-Catholics, whether Christian or not, may or may not participate in otherwise required campus activities, particularly those of a religious nature.

Partial list of universities

Albania

Angola

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bangladesh

Belgium

Benin

Bolivia

Brazil

Cameroon

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Congo, Democratic Republic of

Costa Rica

  • Universidad Católica de Costa Rica, San José; f.1993
  • Universidad De La Salle, San José; f.1994
  • Universidad Juan Pablo II, San José

Croatia

Cuba

Czech Republic

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Ethiopia

  • Ethiopian Catholic University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (ECUSTA), Addis Ababa

France

Germany

Ghana

Guatemala

Haiti

Honduras

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Korea

Lebanon

Lithuania

  • St. Ignatius of Loyola College, Kaunas(Garliava)

Luxembourg

Madagascar

  • Université Catholique de Madagascar, Antananarivo

Malawi

Mexico

Mozambique

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

  • The Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand, Wellington

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Pakistan

Palestine

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

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There are more than 40 universities — besides many colleges — in the Philippine Catholic Church. Among these universities some are;

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Romania

Rwanda

  • Catholic University of Kabgayi, Gitarama

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

South Africa

South Sudan

Spain

Sri Lanka

  • Aquinas University College, Colombo

Sudan

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Tanzania

Thailand

Uganda

Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States

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There are 244 Catholic higher education degree-granting institutions in the United States.[3] Among the most well known are Boston College, Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, and The Catholic University of America.

Uruguay

Vatican

Venezuela

Vietnam

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Academic rankings

Some of the universities, including Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, are ranked in the top list of universities according to the Times Higher Education journal.[4] There is so far no list of academic rankings of Catholic universities.

References

  1. Pirerre Mandonnet, "Order of Preachers" Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913; http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_%281913%29/Order_of_Preachers Accessed 12-31-12
  2. Sophia University
  3. Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
  4. "The University Rankings 2010", The World University Rankings