Paurastya Vidyapitham

The Paurastya Vidyapitham (PVP) is an autonomous Faculty of Ecclesiastical Sciences, erected at the St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam. Paurastya Vidyapitham is the Indian name of the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Religious Studies erected by the Congregation for Catholic Education (Prot. N. 679/75/78) on 3 July 1982 for Eastern Religious studies at the St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam, Kerala, India. It comprises the Faculty of Theology, the Institute of Eastern Canon Law, and the Institute of Philosophy together with all other Faculties/Institutes that may be erected at it in the future. It is subject to the authority of the Synod of Bishops of the Syro–Malabar Church, which exercises its authority through a Synodal Commission.

On 21 February 1973, the Department of Theology at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary was affiliated to the Faculty of Oriental Ecclesiastical Sciences at the Pontifical Oriental Institute Rome. Considering the steady growth of the Department, the Congregation for Catholic Education erected it as an independent Theological Faculty with the right to confer the degrees of Baccalaureate in Theology (B. Th.), Licentiate in Theology (L. Th.) and Doctorate in Theology (D. Th.). On 15 August 1985, the Department of Philosophy was given the power to confer the degree of Baccalaureate in Philosophy (B. Ph.). On 12 December 2016, the Institute of Eastern Canon Law, aggregated to the Faculty of Oriental Canon Law at Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome, was erected at PVP by the same Congregation. On 12 December 2022, the Autonomous Institute of Cycle I of Philosophy (Prot. N. 912/2022) was erected at PVP by the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

Vision

To promote the patrimony of Christian wisdom of both East and West with special reference to India and the heritage of the Church of the St. Thomas Christians.

Mission

Articulate systematically the truths contained in the Biblical, Patristic, Liturgical, and Spiritual traditions of the Eastern Ecclesiastical heritage and promote ecumenical studies with special reference to the actual situation in India and endorse the harmonious co-existence and co-operation of the different Churches sui iuris.