Seminary in Kerala gets affiliation from Belgian varsity

Thrissur , Jan 22 The Marymatha Major Seminary here has become Asia&aposs first Catholic religious learning institute to get affiliation of the renowned Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, church sources said.

The documents in connection with the academic collaboration between the Faculty of Theology of Europe&aposs centuries-old Catholic University and the seminary was signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Leuven, Prof Lievein Boeve, and the Archbishop of Thrissur , Mar Andrews Thazhath here recently, the sources said.

The academic collaboration would go a long way in the structural development, study and research in Indian theology with the co-operation of the Catholic University, they said.

The students of the seminary would now be entitled to get the degree in Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) recognised by the Leuven University.

In the Catholic religious educational system, STB is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology, followed by Licentiate of Sacred Theology and Doctor of Sacred Theology in the second and third phases, the sources said.