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SPECIAL REPORT

Now a decade old, the International Theological Institute in Austria exercises an increasingly important influence through its graduates, particularly in Eastern Europe.

tic spirituality and moral integrity.” It is also confirmed by her generous efforts in charitable and relief work, especially at the bedside of the sick, for whom she showed such care and concern that even today she is remembered as the “healer.” St. Zdislava, by intensely living the spirituality of a Dominican tertiary, was able to make a gift of herself, in the words of : “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). This is the secret of the great attraction which her figure always exercised during her life, as well as after her death and still today.

Among the lesser-known acts of John Paul’s reign was the Congrega- tion for Catholic Education’s decision in October 1996 to establish a pontifi- cal institute in Austria and formally entrust it to the patronage of St. Zdis- lava. In the decade since it was found- ed, the International Theological In- stitute for Studies on and the Family has gained the reputation

COURTESY OF ITI for offering a rigorous grounding in Kartause Maria Thron, theology in an atmosphere of fidelity a 14th-century former to Catholic teaching. While few in Carthusian monastery in number, the 127 graduates of its mas- Gaming, Austria, where ter’s, licentiate, and doctoral programs Breathing the ITI is located. are quietly exercising an increasingly important, and even disproportionate, influence in Catholic academia and in other Catholic spheres, particularly in with Both Lungs Eastern Europe. SELFLESS SURRENDER By Jeff Ziegler born in Moravia and lived in north- ern Bohemia in the thirteenth centu- TO ry, is marked by an extraordinary In his homily at the opening of the mong the lesser known of the 482 capacity for self-giving. This is International Theological Institute (ITI) canonized by John shown particularly by her family in January 1997, Cardinal Christoph A Paul II is St. Zdislava of Lemberk life, in which as the wife of Count Schoenborn of Vienna, the institute’s (c. 1215-52). While on an apostolic jour- Havel of Lemberk she was—to use grand chancellor, exhorted faculty and ney to the Czech Republic in 1995, he the words of my venerable prede- students to follow the example of St. canonized her and said: cessor Paul VI— “an example of and surrender to the The life of St. Zdislava, who was marital fidelity, a support of domes- truth of the Catholic faith:

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Thomas Aquinas is a holy theolo- Bede, Thomas Aquinas, and Alphonsus the international nature of the ITI, and gian. He is not holy despite his the- Liguori. thus the distinctive nature of its stu- ology, but was pronounced holy as a STM students also read an extra- dent body and faculty, make the ITI an theologian . . . When the Church ordinary array of prominent ancient, experience of the universal Church that declares someone a , she recog- medieval, and modern thinkers—some the United States cannot provide,” says nizes that the mystery of Christ pagan, others Catholic, and still others Dr. Max Bonilla, vice president for aca- clearly radiates from him, the wis- hostile to the teaching authority of the demic affairs at Franciscan University dom of the cross, the weakness of Church. Among them are Aristotle, of Steubenville. A member of the insti- which is more powerful than Euclid, Lucretius, Plato, Arius, tute’s board of trustees, Dr. Bonilla told all human wisdom. In what is the Nestorius, Eusebius, Bacon, Balthasar, CWR that “the cultural and linguistic theology of Thomas Aquinas a visi- Raymond Brown, Copernicus, richness of the student body allow ble expression of the mystery of the Descartes, Darwin, Fitzmyer, Galileo, American students to study theology cross? . . . Goethe, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Kierke- from a variety of perspectives that Thomas was a holy theologian, gaard, Luther, Machiavelli, Marx, because he did theology, not to Nietzsche, Pascal, Ratzinger, Scheeben, During their years at the please others, not to become and Wojtyla. All students are required famous, not to be interesting, not to to learn Greek and Latin, while Hebrew institute, Eastern Catholic develop “his own original point of is offered as an elective. students become more view” and then defend it obstinate- In keeping with its emphasis, the familiar with the Rosary, ly, but because his theology flowed institute organizes lectures, symposia, while Westerners become from an unconditional surrender to and conferences on marriage and fami- the truth, which is Christ . . . ly life and offers a course in natural fa- acquainted with the haunt- Selfless surrender to truth—in this mily planning instruction. Classes are ing strains of the Akathist— selflessness of Thomas’s theology conducted in English and German. a Byzantine hymn to Our one can see the light of the wisdom Lady composed by St. of the cross. He selflessly commu- FROM THE EAST AND WEST Romanos the Melodist in nicates the light of truth. He self- During the last decade of his pontifi- lessly allows himself to be pene- cate, Pope John Paul II repeatedly chal- the sixth century. trated by the light of truth . . . This lenged the Church to “breathe with is the selflessness of the great both lungs” of Western and Eastern strengthen their understanding and teacher: not to put on imposing Christianity. In response to this chal- admiration for the .” airs as an intellectual, not to use lenge, the Eastern Fathers are particu- Father James McCann, S.J., execu- complicated technical jargon to larly well represented in the ITI’s cur- tive director of the United States Con- impress and blind students and riculum: students encounter the works ference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc thereby to make them unfree and of Saints Athanasius, Basil, Cyril of Committee to Aid the Catholic Church immature under tutelage. Alexandria, Dionysius, Gregory Nazian- in Central and Eastern Europe, which zen, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysos- has given $1.5 million to the institute Under the leadership of Dr. Michael tom, John Damascene, and Maximus over the past decade, concurs: Waldstein, a tenured Notre Dame pro- the Confessor. fessor who became the ITI’s founding Like its curriculum, the institute’s In a unique way it brings togeth- president, the institute developed a student body is composed of students er Catholics from the East and curriculum of almost unprecedented from both the East and the West. Ac- West...It brings together and builds scope that reflected the breadth of his cording to statistics provided to CWR true mutual respect for the tradi- own academic background. A native by ITI development director Virginia tions of Latin and Eastern Rite Austrian and an alumnus of the Great Mortensen, the majority of graduates Catholics alike. It has created a lov- Books program of Thomas Aquinas come from the United States, Ukraine, ing community in which families College in California, Dr. Waldstein Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia; cur- thrive and where young and old holds advanced degrees in philosophy rent graduates come from those na- genuinely learn from each other. It from the University of Dallas, theology tions as well as Austria, Belarus, Can- provides at the same time a strong from Harvard University, and Sacred ada, Estonia, France, Germany, India, theological and philosophical for- Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, and the mation and a community of learn- Institute. Now a senior professor at the United Kingdom. One third of the 55 ing to bridge the academic and the ITI, he recently completed a more pre- students are Eastern Catholics, and pastoral dimensions of Catholic cise re-translation of Pope John Paul’s Mass is offered daily in both the life. audiences on the theology of the body Roman and Byzantine Rites. During that has been published by Pauline their years at the institute, Eastern INFLUENCE IN ACADEMIA Books and Media. Catholic students become more famil- Reflecting upon the first decade of Centered on Sacred Scripture and the iar with the Rosary, while Westerners the ITI’s existence, Dr. Waldstein told Fathers and doctors of the Church, the become acquainted with the haunting CWR that “we have succeeded for the institute’s STM (master of sacred theolo- strains of the Akathist—a Byzantine most part in reaching our main goal, gy) curriculum includes selections from hymn to Our Lady composed by St. which is the deep formation of the the writings of ten ecumenical councils, Romanos the Melodist in the sixth mind and also the heart of our students a dozen , and Saints Augustine, century. and faculty through a rigorous theolog- Benedict, Cyprian, Leo, Jerome, Anselm, “Its location in the heart of Europe, ical education at the feet of the great

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masters of theology in a rich setting of in the journal First Things. Father and Slovakia to parish councils in Christian community.” Johannes Schwarz’s doctoral disser- Tbilisi, Georgia, graduates are building Perhaps because of the rigor of the tation on was noted last year the pastoral capacity of the Catholic theological education, any concern that in European and American Catholic Church and helping to form a Catholic graduates of a new institute would media venues as diverse as Catholic conscience for today’s Europe.” have difficulty being accepted for stud- World News and the National Catholic Several Eastern European alumni ies elsewhere or finding academic posi- Reporter. work for their dioceses, whether as tions has proven unfounded. Thirty In addition, an American alumnus is family life directors or bishops’ secre- graduates are studying for advanced editor of Sophia Institute Press, while taries, while others work in parish degrees, and dozens more are involved another, now academic dean at a public marriage and family life ministry or in the educational world: charter school, has served as editor of religious education. A Lithuanian Emmaus Road Publishing. alumnus who is a doctoral candidate • nearly three dozen alumni are on the at the Sorbonne writes commentaries faculty or staff of colleges and uni- INFLUENCE IN THE CHURCH on the Sunday readings for the versities in Austria, Estonia, Israel, The influence of the institute’s alum- Internet version of his nation’s largest Italy, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Ukraine, ni extends beyond the world of Catholic newspaper. A Czech alumnus found- and the U.S. academia and publishing. A remarkable ed a consulting group that is raising • a dozen are involved in secondary 20 percent of the institute’s alumni are funds to build a major pilgrimage and school education, and one founded priests, religious, consecrated laity, retreat center. An Estonian alumnus is a Catholic middle school in South or seminarians. While some found their spokesman for the Catholic Church in Carolina vocations during or after their years his nation and has helped translate • five teach in seminaries in India, at the institute, others—particularly the Roman Missal and the Catechism of Italy, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the U.S. Eastern Catholics—were sent to the the Catholic Church into his native ITI by their bishops for seminary study. tongue. One alumnus is business man- Father Gregory Arby, an Indian Msgr. Larry Hogan, who has served ager for a Greek Catholic journal; priest who is now a professor of dog- as the ITI’s president for the past year, another is president of a Catholic radio told CWR, “Among the most significant station in Lithuania. One alumna is One former student, accomplishments I would not leave secretary to the president of a Fr. Florin Vasiloni, is now an out the seminary program which con- Ukrainian Catholic university, while another serves as secretary to the head archpriest with oversight tinues to prepare a generation of new priests for service to the church. Based of a religious community. over 27 parishes; he served on the spiritualities of both lungs of as the Romanian Greek the Church, East and West, it would FUTURE CHALLENGES Catholic Church’s official be difficult to find its equal in the The institute’s ecclesiastical degrees representative to the parlia- Church.” were recently granted recognition by One former student, Fr. Florin the Republic of Austria and thus by the ment’s national prayer Vasiloni, is now an archpriest with European Union. In preparing the breakfast in November. oversight over 27 parishes; he served as paperwork for this recognition, the ITI the Romanian Greek Catholic Church’s had to examine the differences that dis- matic theology at St. Joseph’s Pontifical official representative to the tinguish it from other Catholic theolog- Seminary in Kerala and editor of a parliament’s national prayer break- ical institutions. Catholic magazine, told CWR that “my fast in November. A British alumnus Commenting on these differences, thinking pattern became more in the recently wrote the diaconate training ITI president Msgr. Hogan, an American- direct track with the Church because of texts for his archdiocese. Austrian and born priest incardinated in the Arch- the ITI.” Oleg Novoselsky, who teaches American alumni have served as diocese of Vienna, told CWR: at a Ukrainian university and seminary, staff or board directors of pro-life says that his years in Austria have organizations and lay apostolates, In general it may be said that the helped him develop “lucidity in think- including Jugend fuer das Leben ITI provides a stronger philosophi- ing and in presenting arguments, pru- (Youth for Life), the World Youth cal foundation and Thomistic dence in theological research, faithful- Alliance, and Catholics United for the orientation than that offered by ness to the truth, to the Church.” Faith. similar institutions. Introductory The writings of three young alumni It is perhaps in Eastern Europe, courses in which the professor have already exerted an influence in though, that the institute’s influence lectures to explain the material are the theological world. The author of has been most manifest. “Graduates less common at the ITI ,which Men and Women Are from Eden: A Study have begun to exert a very positive emphasizes the reading of texts Guide to Pope John Paul II’s Theology of influence on the life of the Church over and their discussion (seminar the Body, Mary Healy is also coeditor of a remarkably wide array of countries, method) even at introductory lev- Behind the Text: History and Biblical Inter- extending from Central and Eastern els of learning . . . This method is pretation and Out of Egypt: Biblical Theol- Europe to the farthest reaches of the reserved for more advanced stu- ogy and Biblical Interpretation. Alyssa Lyra former Soviet Union,” Father McCann dents at other faculties . . . Pitstick’s newly published Light in told CWR. “In a variety of settings, Because of its mission to be a Darkness: Hans Urs von Balthasar and the from family life centers in Lithuania to bridge between the Eastern and the Catholic Doctrine of Christ’s Descent into youth formation teams in Ukraine, Western branches of the Church, Hell has provoked much discussion from catechetical groups in Romania the ITI provides a number of cours-

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es in Byzantine theology, combined Catholic university. Until a full- already strong. So many well-edu- with a rich Byzantine liturgical life fledged faculty of 12 chairs develops, cated Catholics, fluent in English, fast that is not found elsewhere in however, “it would be premature of becoming the lingua franca of all of Austria and very seldom else- speak of developing into the Catholic Europe, and keeping in close touch where. Taking seriously its special- University of Austria,” Msgr. Hogan to share and reflect on their exper- ization in marriage and family, the ITI provides the theological foun- dation for this study without, how- Newly ordained graduate ever, the practical courses in coun- Fr.Yuriy Kolasa of Ukraine seling, etc., that would be charac- gives a fellow ITI graduate his priestly blessing. teristic of a marriage and family institute as such, which the ITI as a theological school is not.

While both Dr. Waldstein and Msgr. Hogan—who earned his doctorate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and knows eleven languages—serve on commissions of the Austrian bish- ops’ conference, “this does not mean that all the bishops in Austria are enthusiastic supporters of the ITI,” says Msgr. Hogan. “Bishops who have theological faculties in their dioceses are committed to supporting them.” Nevertheless, he says, “The accep- tance of the ITI in Austria has grown stronger over the years, although some members of theologi- cal faculties still consider the ITI as competition.” Since its inception, the ITI has held classes at Kartause Maria Thron in Gaming [pronounced Gah-ming], a former Carthusian monastery that

houses the Austrian program of Fran- COURTESY OF ITI ciscan University of Steubenville, which played a key role in the ITI’s early told CWR. “The move to a new cam- iences—this group will contribute development. According to archival pus should solidify our identity in a mightily to the leadership of the material provided to CWR by Fran- healthy way and compel us to interact Church.” ciscan University chancellor Fr. Michael more frequently with other theological In this way, the pontifical institute Scanlan, T.O.R., the ITI was founded faculties in Central Europe.” that the Church entrusted to the pa- following the closure of a marriage Whether or not the institute grows tronage of St. Zdislava will continue and family institute in the Nether- into a Catholic university, Msgr. to fulfill the hopes expressed by Pope lands. After the German bishops were Hogan desires to continue the insti- John Paul in her canonization homily: invited to continue the work of the tute’s legacy of service to the Church. institute (and demurred), the “A short time after our local ordinary Her example seems remarkably asked the Austrian bishops to do so, [Bishop Klaus Kueng] became bishop timely, particularly with regard to and through the assistance of Francis- of the diocese [St. Poelten], Dr. Wald- the value of the family, which—she can University, the ITI began to offer stein and [I] had a long talk with the teaches us—must be open to God, to classes a year before its opening as a new bishop . . . We went and asked the the gift of life and to the needs of the pontifical institute. bishop: ‘How can we help you and the poor. Our saint is a marvelous wit- Kartause Maria Thron also houses diocese, Your Excellency?’ With that ness to the “Gospel of the family” the Language and Catechetical Insti- attitude we want to say to all of the and to the “Gospel of Life,” which tute and the Austrian program of Ave bishops who send students to us: How the Church is more than ever com- Maria University, whose students take can we help you? How can the ITI bet- mitted to spreading during this classes at the ITI. The ITI is currently ter serve the Church? In that spirit the transition from the second to the seeking larger facilities closer to ITI is going forward.” third Christian millennium. Vienna. While the ITI is already having a In a letter published last year on the remarkable influence through the lives JEFF ZIEGLER, an alumnus of the Inter- institute’s web site, Cardinal Schoen- of its graduates, Father McCann national Theological Institute, writes from born wrote that the Congregation for believes that “it is in the future that we North Carolina. Catholic Education is encouraging the will see most clearly the lasting bene- ITI to add more faculties and become a fits of Gaming. The Gaming network is

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