Vietnamese Jesuit religious school raised to an Ecclesiastical Higher Educational Institution

Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education approved the establishment of St. Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate (SJJS) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as an Ecclesiastical Higher Educational Institution of the Holy See with the canonical public juridic personality under Church law on January 13.

In line with the relevant requirements of the Instruction on the Affiliation of Institutes of Higher Studies, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery, authorized the Statutes of SJJS and the affiliation of SJJS with Loyola School of Theology (LST) in the Philippines for a term of five years (Art. 17; 10 par 2).

The Vatican had initially approved the affiliation for an experimental period of five years on January 13, 2018.

As a result of this affiliation, LST will grant the ecclesiastical degree of Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (STB) to the students of SJJS who successfully complete their theological program.

SJJS offers philosophy and theology programs for Jesuits, members of other religious orders, and lay people.

SJJS is under the Vietnam Province of the Society of Jesus.

The Section for Education of the Dicastery for Culture and Education supports diocesan/eparchial Bishops, Episcopal Conferences, and the hierarchical structures of the Eastern Churches to promote the Catholic identity of schools and institutes of higher education.

The Dicastery may set norms defining culturally specific contexts to safeguard Catholic doctrine with them. It promotes the teaching of the Catholic faith in schools. - With inputs from viejesuits