International Dominican Foundation

THE PURPOSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL DOMINICAN FOUNDATION IS TO AID AND SUPPORT THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS OF THE DOMINICAN ORDER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

THE ANGELICUM IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE CENTRES FOR INTELLECTUAL LIFE IN THE ORDER OF PREACHERS. A HOUSE OF STUDIES WHERE ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ONCE TAUGHT, IT SOUGHT AND WAS GRANTED PONTIFICAL STATUS UNDER THE MASTERSHIP OF BLESSED HYACINTH CORMIER OP. TODAY, IT OFFERS PONTIFICAL DEGREES UP TO THE LEVEL OF DOCTORATE IN THEOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, CANON LAW, AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. EACH YEAR, IT WELCOMES OVER 1,200 SEMINARIANS, RELIGIOUS, AND LAYPEOPLE FROM ALMOST 100 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE ADMINISTRATION AND TEACHING STAFF ARE MAINLY DOMINICANS, SUPPORTED BY A 70-STRONG CONVENT OF FRIARS, WHICH MAKE IT ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMUNITIES IN THE ORDER. THE ANGELICUM IS ALSO THE ACCREDITING BODY FOR 15 HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTES SPREAD ACROSS THE WORLD (INCLUDING BLACKFRIARS STADIUM IN OXFORD). GRANTS WERE GIVEN FOR SCHOLARSHIPS TO SEMINARIANS AND LAY PERSONS AT THE ANGELICUM UNIVERSITY IN ROME.

ECOLE BIBLIQUE AND FRENCH SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY IS THE CENTRE OF BIBLICAL STUDY AND ARCHAEOLOGY THAT PRODUCED THE JERUSALEM BIBLE AND EDITS THE REVUE BIBLIQUE. FOUNDED BY THE DOMINICAN MARIE-JOSEPH LAGRANGE IN 1890, THE ECOLE CONTINUES TO OFFER SCHOLARS OF THE BIBLE AND THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE HOLY LAND A UNIQUE VENUE TO STUDY, TEACH, AND PUBLISH. THERE ARE 20 DOMINICAN FRIARS ASSIGNED TO THE ECOLE AND APPROXIMATELY 40 POSTGRADUATES FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD IN RESIDENCE. SITUATED IN EAST JERUSALEM, THE ECOLE STUDENTS AND STAFF WITNESS THE INTER-RELIGIOUS CONTEXT OF THE MODERN WORLD NOT AS A SUBJECT OF STUDY ONLY BUT AS A REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE. THIS SENSITIVITY TO DIFFERENT CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS CONTEXTS HAS INSPIRED THE COMMUNITY TO BEGIN A NEW BIBLE PROJECT CALLED BIBLE EN SES TRADITIONS, BEST. BEST WILL NOT BE YET ANOTHER CATHOLIC BIBLE, BUT ONE THAT CAN BE READ CATHOLICALLY, THAT IS WITH EQUAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT AND THE TRADITION(S) OF RECEPTION, INCLUDING JEWISH, PROTESTANT, AND ORTHODOX READINGS. GRANTS WERE GIVEN TO THE ECOLE BIBLIQUE AND FRENCH SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN JERUSALEM.

THE DOMINICAN INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL STUDIES (IDEO) WAS FOUNDED IN CAIRO IN 1953 AT THE REQUEST OF THE HOLY SEE TO OPEN A DIALOGUE, WITHOUT PROSELYTISM, BETWEEN MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN SCHOLARS. IT IS THE HOME TO AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF WORKS ON ARABIC CULTURE AND ISLAM AND IS RECOGNIZED AS A PREEMINENT RESEARCH INSTITUTION BY INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS. THE IDEO IS COMPRISED OF A TEAM OF APPROXIMATELY 12 SCHOLARS, MAINLY DOMINICANS. APPROXIMATELY 10 OF THE VISITORS AND READERS. THOSE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF EGYPT LECTURE IN UNIVERSITIES OR WORK IN RESEARCH CENTERS SUCH AS THE CNRS IN FRANCE. 12 OTHER SCHOLARS ARE SUPPORTING THEM. IDEO WORKS TOWARD BETTER KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARAB-MUSLIM CULTURAL HERITAGE AND TOWARD THE IMPROVEMENT OF ISLAMIC AND CHRISTIAN RELATIONS. GRANTS WERE GIVEN TO THE IDEO IN CAIRO.