Thirty Years of the Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae : A Canonical Overview and Future Prospects

This article analyses the canonical framework of the Apostolic Constitution Ex corde Ecclesiae. Context is provided through an exploration of the profound impact of the development of Catholic universities on culture and society. It shows that a unique character and role of the Catholic university has been developed, rooted primarily in the Church’s faithfulness to the Gospel Commission, which has resulted in a unique and irreplaceable role. The mission of the Catholic university is to be a place where the knowledge created by human endeavour is humanised with revealed truth and thereby turned into wisdom — with the unique assistance of the Church as the expert in humanity. The article concludes by locating the mission of the university as equipping today’s students to embark on the noble endeavour of becoming artisans of hope in the world.