“In order that a brief may be given by his Holiness so that the college of Sancto Thomas of Manila become a university.”
“Bought June 17, 1891 for twenty-five pesetas from Don José Maria Rocamora
J. Vigil.”]
Bull issued by Innocent X
Pope Innocent X, for the memory of this in the future.
Established by the divine order in the supereminent watch tower of the apostolic see, although with inadequate merits, and reviewing in the privacy of our consideration the extent to which the holy Catholic faith is increased by the study of letters, and the worship of the true God diffused, truth recognized and justice revered and observed, we are gladly making efforts to have the said studies promoted, so that even humble persons who desire to train themselves in those studies may attain their desire. Applying for this purpose with more particular inclination the vigilance of our solicitude, while at the same time the desires of the faithful ones of Christ, and signally of those who are conspicuous with royal dignity, entreat this: accordingly, having considered the condition of those places, we judge, in the spirit of God, that the following is beneficial and expedient.
Since there is in the city of Manila, of the Filipinas Islands in the western Indias, a college called Sancto Tomás, of the order of the friars of St. Dominic, as has been lately told us in the name of our very beloved son in Christ, Felipe, Catholic king of the Españas, wherein thirty collegiates are being educated, and grammar, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and scholastic and moral theology are studied and taught, to the great profit of the inhabitants of those districts; and considering that the city of Manila is more than three thousand leguas from the two nearest universities with general curricula—namely, Lima and México—for which reason the said King Felipe is especially desirous that a university be erected and instituted by us in the said college (thus it was that we were humbly petitioned in the name of the said Felipe that, in consideration of its utility to the inhabitants of the said city, and to their instruction or education in letters, we would, with apostolic authority, deign to erect and institute a university in the above-mentioned city and in the buildings of the aforesaid college, in which the religious of the said order may publicly give instruction to and teach any youth grammar, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and scholastic and moral theology, and also make seasonable provision in the other things above mentioned, in accordance with apostolic graciousness):
We therefore, desiring to show gracious compliance, and ourselves being effectually inclined to the pious desires and petitions of King Felipe, after invoking the opinion and advice of some of our beloved sons—cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and other prelates of this court, whom we assign to this duty—by the tenor of the present, and without prejudice to any other, erect and institute, by virtue of apostolic authority, a university in the said city of Manila, in the buildings of the said college where the schools are at present, or wherever they may be built hereafter in more ample form. In it the religious of the said order may publicly give instruction to and teach any youth grammar, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and scholastic and moral theology. This shall have force only until some public university with a general curriculum be erected by apostolic authority in the said city of Manila, or in its province. We submit and subject this said university, thus founded and instituted, by the aforesaid authority and perpetually to the supervision, management, and administration of the said order, and that of its master-general, now and forever, or of the person whom he shall assign, who shall be the rector of the whole university.
Item: By the authority and tenor of these presents, we concede and grant to the said university, its rector, masters, students, and to all and each one of the aforesaid, power to obtain, employ, and enjoy, all and singular, the privileges, indults, liberties, immunities, exemptions, favors, concessions, prerogatives, honors, and preëminences conceded to like universities, and to their successive rectors, masters, lecturers, doctors, teachers, students, procurators, beadles, envoys, officials, and helpers, and all other persons, however these may be conceded to them, whether in general or in special—not only in their similitude, but in like form and with complete and equal excellence. And besides this, we concede to the rector of the said university and college, henceforth and forever, as long as the said university endure, as above stated, power to promote and graduate those who shall have studied their due time in this university thus founded, and whom he shall consider as qualified in learning and morals, as bachelors, licentiates, doctors, and masters in those branches which are taught and studied in the said college, observing in all and through all the form of the decrees of the councils of Vienne and of Trent[1]—whose decrees we are not minded to violate in any respect—and also the praiseworthy customs of the other universities, and to give to such graduates the insignia of such degrees. Those thus promoted and graduated by the rector may afterward, publicly and privately, even though it be in all the other academies and universities with general curricula, expound the above-mentioned studies, and teach others, may dispute concerning them, and perform the acts suitable to the degree or degrees that they may possess. They shall also be enabled to exercise and enjoy all the rights, privileges, favors, concessions, prerogatives, and indults, that are exercised, and enjoyed, and that may be exercised and enjoyed hereafter, by right or custom, by those legitimately graduated from the said schools, either in other academies or universities, or in any other place, in all respects, as if they had received their degrees in the said academies or universities, in accordance with the usages and customs of those institutions.