What We Are

The Pontifical Biblical Institute was established by Pope Pius X with the Apostolic Letter Vinea Electa of May 7, 1909, in order to be:

a center of higher studies for Sacred Scripture in the city of Rome and all related studies according to the spirit of the Catholic Church.

- Apostolic Letter

Focus Areas

Scholarly Research

Scholarly Research

To cultivate and promote, by means of scholarly research, the biblical and relevant ancient Near Eastern disciplines, in order to obtain “a more profound understanding and exposition of the meaning of Sacred Scripture” (Dei Verbum, §12).

Biblical Languages

Biblical Languages

To offer to the students, by the teaching and the practice of these various disciplines, in particular the biblical languages, an adequate preparation both for scholarly research and for the teaching and spread of Sacred Scripture and of the disciplines connected with it.

Educational Publications

Educational Publications

To work toward “a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture, so that through preparatory study the judgment of the Church may mature” (Dei Verbum, §12) and that Sacred Scripture may have an ever more active role in the study of theology, in pastoral ministry, in ecumenical dialogue, in the sacred liturgy and in the reading of the faithful.

An indispensable means for the Institute to achieve this task entrusted to it is a specialized library.

The Pontifical Biblical Institute has also its own publications, as well as a branch in Jerusalem.

Scholarly Research

To cultivate and promote, by means of scholarly research, the biblical and relevant ancient Near Eastern disciplines, in order to obtain “a more profound understanding and exposition of the meaning of Sacred Scripture” (Dei Verbum, §12).

Biblical Languages

To offer to the students, by the teaching and the practice of these various disciplines, in particular the biblical languages, an adequate preparation both for scholarly research and for the teaching and spread of Sacred Scripture and of the disciplines connected with it.

Educational Publications

To work toward “a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture, so that through preparatory study the judgment of the Church may mature” (Dei Verbum, §12) and that Sacred Scripture may have an ever more active role in the study of theology, in pastoral ministry, in ecumenical dialogue, in the sacred liturgy and in the reading of the faithful.

An indispensable means for the Institute to achieve this task entrusted to it is a specialized library.

The Pontifical Biblical Institute has also its own publications, as well as a branch in Jerusalem.

Impact

Here are 3 ways the Pontifical Biblical Institute has made an impact in the world.

  1. 48 Cardinals and 339 Bishops

    Several prominent Alumni of the Biblicum have gone on to be elevated to the Episcopate and the Cardinalate. Among the Alumni, there are currently 48 Cardinals and 339 Bishops.

  2. 60 countries

    The Biblicum has an international student body from over 60 countries.

  3. World-renowned library

    The Biblicum Institute Library is considered one of the best Biblical libraries in the world, with a number of rare manuscripts in the archives dating as far back as 1500.

By the Numbers

Here you will find a current breakdown of students as they are represented in our two faculties.

Note: Students are divided into three categories:

  • Fully-qualified Degree Students [Ordinari]
    Fully qualified students enrolled in the program leading to the degree of License or Doctorate.

    For the Biblical Faculty the admission requirement is the academic degree of Bachelor in Theology (canonical degree: S.T.B.).

    For admission to the Oriental Faculty a title that allows access to the University in one’s own country is required.

    N.B.: No one can be accepted as a full-time student (“Ordinario”) if he/she is already registered as full-time in another Faculty.
  • Non fully-qualified Degree Students [Straordinari]
    Students taking a full-time program of study, but do not tend to an academic degree or only need to satisfy a few requirements in order to be degree students (for example a student who has completed all courses for the Baccalaureate, but he/she has only one or two exams to pass).
  • Guests [Ospitit]
    Students taking one or more courses for their own purposes (most of these students are following a degree program at another institution).

    These candidates must submit an appropriate attestation by an ecclesiastical or academic authority. In addition, they must have sufficient knowledge of Greek and Hebrew if they want to follow courses in the exegetical-theological section.

Current Student Enrollment

Biblical Faculty
Doctorate 63
Licentiate 235
Guest 16
Total 314
Oriental Faculty
Doctorate 0
Licentiate 1
Guest 8
Total 9
Grand Total
Doctorate 63
Licentiate 236
Guest 24
Total 323
Demographics
Countries 75
Dioceses 150
Religious Orders (M) 42
Religious Orders (F) 19
Laywoman 23
Laymen 11
Total 323
Student Categories
Full Degree students 167
Non Degree students 102
Guests 20
Total 323

Note: These statistics do not include Students of the Pontifical Gregorian University who are taking courses at the Pontifical Biblical Institute as part of their degree work at the university.