– Mission Statement
“So as to assure an adequate doctrinal formation in universities and religious houses of formation; and in order to fulfill our desire that the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas be deepened as a treasure for the development of the Christian life and his writings be made accessible to all since they continue to be relevant to our times; and since we are convinced that if the study of the doctrines of the Angelic Doctor continue to be advanced they will fulfill the determinations of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council; after carefully examining the matter, motu proprio and by our apostolic authority we decree and promulgate that the International Pontifical Athenaeum Angelicum, legitimately erected and entrusted to the Order of Preachers, now and in posterity be designated as the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.”
— Pope St. John XXIII, Dominicianus Ordo
The Angelicum places the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas at the center of its academic life. This is not a narrow or closed intellectual project. For the Dominican tradition, the study of Aquinas opens the mind to the harmony of faith and reason, the dignity of the human person, the created order, the life of grace and the mission of the Church.
A Thomistic formation helps students ask the right questions, think with precision and seek the truth with humility. It forms priests, religious and lay men and women for preaching, teaching, pastoral ministry, scholarship, administration, public service and cultural engagement.
At the Angelicum, study is joined to prayer, community and preaching. Academic formation is therefore not only the acquisition of knowledge, but the formation of persons who can serve the truth in charity.
The Angelicum’s academic life is organized around four faculties and the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences, Mater Ecclesiae. Each field of study serves the same mission: the formation of leaders for the Church and society in the light of the Gospel and the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Located in the historic center of Rome, the Angelicum offers students a unique place of formation. Rome exposes students to the Church’s art, history, governing institutions, liturgical life and universal mission. It also gathers Catholics and scholars from every part of the world.
As a pontifical university, the Angelicum grants ecclesiastical degrees on behalf of the Holy See. As a Dominican university, it carries forward the Order’s mission of study, preaching and formation.
