| Veritatis gaudium Latin for 'The Joy of Truth' Apostolic constitution ofPopeFrancis | |
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| Signature date | 8 December 2017 |
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Veritatis gaudium (The Joy of Truth)[1] is anapostolic constitution onecclesiastical universities and faculties.[2] It was signed byPope Francis on 8 December 2017[3] andentered into force on 29 January 2018.[1][4] It updates the 1979 apostolic constitutionSapientia christiana.[1] The document is 87 pages in length.[3] The new normstook legal effect on the first day of the 2018-2019 academic year or of the 2019 academic year, depending on the school year of particular institutions.[3]
The document deals only withecclesiastical universities and faculties,[3] which are distinguished fromCatholic institutions of higher education generally in that they offer degrees granted by authority of theHoly See.Ex corde ecclesiae is not affected by the new document and remains unchanged.[3] It replaces the norms of the apostolic constitutionSapientia christiana, promulgated byPope John Paul II on 15 April 1979.[4] The documentobrogates alllaws,customs, andprivileges contrary toVeritatis gaudium.[3][5]
The first part (on "common norms") deals with the nature and purpose of ecclesiastical universities and faculties. The second part ("special norms") deals with specific norms regarding faculties oftheology,canon law, andphilosophy.[4]
The document makes provision for "distance learning", something which had not existed at the time ofSapientia christiana. The document also makes provision for refugees and migrants for whom production of the requisite academic verifications would be impossible.[1]
