COURTESY OF ITI Breathing with Both Lungs

24 THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT, February 2007THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT, February 2007

By Jeff Ziegler

Among the lesser known of the 482saints canonized by Pope JohnPaul II is St. Zdislava of Lemberk

(c. 1215-52). While on an apostolic jour-ney to the Czech Republic in 1995, hecanonized her and said:

The life of St. Zdislava, who was

born in Moravia and lived in north-ern Bohemia in the thirteenth centu-ry, is marked by an extraordinarycapacity for self-giving. This isshown particularly by her familylife, in which as the wife of CountHavel of Lemberk she was—to usethe words of my venerable prede-cessor Paul VI— “an example ofmarital fidelity, a support of domes-

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Breathing with Both Lungs

� Kartause Maria Thron,a 14th-century formerCarthusian monastery inGaming, Austria, wherethe ITI is located.

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tic spirituality and moral integrity.”It is also confirmed by her generousefforts in charitable and relief work,especially at the bedside of the sick,for whom she showed such care andconcern that even today she isremembered as the “healer.” St.Zdislava, by intensely living thespirituality of a Dominican tertiary,was able to make a gift of herself, inthe words of Jesus: “It is moreblessed to give than to receive”(Acts 20:35). This is the secret of thegreat attraction which her figurealways exercised during her life, as well as after her death and stilltoday.

Among the lesser-known acts ofJohn Paul’s reign was the Congrega-tion for Catholic Education’s decisionin October 1996 to establish a pontifi-cal institute in Austria and formallyentrust it to the patronage of St. Zdis-lava. In the decade since it was found-ed, the International Theological In-stitute for Studies on Marriage andthe Family has gained the reputationfor offering a rigorous grounding intheology in an atmosphere of fidelityto Catholic teaching. While few innumber, the 127 graduates of its mas-ter’s, licentiate, and doctoral programsare quietly exercising an increasinglyimportant, and even disproportionate,influence in Catholic academia and inother Catholic spheres, particularly inEastern Europe.

SELFLESS SURRENDER TO TRUTH

In his homily at the opening of theInternational Theological Institute (ITI)in January 1997, Cardinal ChristophSchoenborn of Vienna, the institute’sgrand chancellor, exhorted faculty andstudents to follow the example of St.Thomas Aquinas and surrender to thetruth of the Catholic faith:

Now a decade old, the InternationalTheological Institute in Austria exercisesan increasingly important influencethrough its graduates, particularly inEastern Europe.

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Thomas Aquinas is a holy theolo-gian. He is not holy despite his the-ology, but was pronounced holy as atheologian . . . When the Churchdeclares someone a saint, she recog-nizes that the mystery of Christclearly radiates from him, the wis-dom of the cross, the weakness ofGod which is more powerful thanall human wisdom. In what is thetheology of Thomas Aquinas a visi-ble expression of the mystery of thecross? . . .

Thomas was a holy theologian,because he did theology, not toplease others, not to becomefamous, not to be interesting, not todevelop “his own original point ofview” and then defend it obstinate-ly, but because his theology flowedfrom an unconditional surrender tothe truth, which is Christ . . .Selfless surrender to truth—in thisselflessness of Thomas’s theologyone can see the light of the wisdomof the cross. He selflessly commu-nicates the light of truth. He self-lessly allows himself to be pene-trated by the light of truth . . . Thisis the selflessness of the greatteacher: not to put on imposingairs as an intellectual, not to usecomplicated technical jargon toimpress and blind students andthereby to make them unfree andimmature under tutelage.

Under the leadership of Dr. MichaelWaldstein, a tenured Notre Dame pro-fessor who became the ITI’s foundingpresident, the institute developed acurriculum of almost unprecedentedscope that reflected the breadth of hisown academic background. A nativeAustrian and an alumnus of the GreatBooks program of Thomas AquinasCollege in California, Dr. Waldsteinholds advanced degrees in philosophyfrom the University of Dallas, theologyfrom Harvard University, and SacredScripture from the Pontifical BiblicalInstitute. Now a senior professor at theITI, he recently completed a more pre-cise re-translation of Pope John Paul’saudiences on the theology of the bodythat has been published by PaulineBooks and Media.

Centered on Sacred Scripture and theFathers and doctors of the Church, theinstitute’s STM (master of sacred theolo-gy) curriculum includes selections fromthe writings of ten ecumenical councils,a dozen popes, and Saints Augustine,Benedict, Cyprian, Leo, Jerome, Anselm,

Bede, Thomas Aquinas, and AlphonsusLiguori.

STM students also read an extra-ordinary array of prominent ancient,medieval, and modern thinkers—somepagan, others Catholic, and still othershostile to the teaching authority of theChurch. Among them are Aristotle,Euc l id , Lucre t ius , P la to , Ar ius ,Nestorius, Eusebius, Bacon, Balthasar,R a y m o n d B r o w n , C o p e r n i c u s ,Descartes, Darwin, Fitzmyer, Galileo,Goethe, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Kierke-gaard, Luther, Machiavelli, Marx,Nietzsche, Pascal, Ratzinger, Scheeben,and Wojtyla. All students are requiredto learn Greek and Latin, while Hebrewis offered as an elective.

In keeping with its emphasis, theinstitute organizes lectures, symposia,and conferences on marriage and fami-ly life and offers a course in natural fa-mily planning instruction. Classes areconducted in English and German.

FROM THE EAST AND WESTDuring the last decade of his pontifi-

cate, Pope John Paul II repeatedly chal-lenged the Church to “breathe withboth lungs” of Western and EasternChristianity. In response to this chal-lenge, the Eastern Fathers are particu-larly well represented in the ITI’s cur-riculum: students encounter the worksof Saints Athanasius, Basil, Cyril ofAlexandria, Dionysius, Gregory Nazian-zen, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysos-tom, John Damascene, and Maximusthe Confessor.

Like its curriculum, the institute’sstudent body is composed of studentsfrom both the East and the West. Ac-cording to statistics provided to CWRby ITI development director VirginiaMortensen, the majority of graduatescome from the United States, Ukraine,Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia; cur-rent graduates come from those na-tions as well as Austria, Belarus, Can-ada, Estonia, France, Germany, India,Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, and theUnited Kingdom. One third of the 55students are Eastern Catholics, andMass is offered daily in both theRoman and Byzantine Rites. Duringtheir years at the institute, EasternCatholic students become more famil-iar with the Rosary, while Westernersbecome acquainted with the hauntingstrains of the Akathist—a Byzantinehymn to Our Lady composed by St.Romanos the Melodist in the sixthcentury.

“Its location in the heart of Europe,

the international nature of the ITI, andthus the distinctive nature of its stu-dent body and faculty, make the ITI anexperience of the universal Church thatthe United States cannot provide,” saysDr. Max Bonilla, vice president for aca-demic affairs at Franciscan Universityof Steubenville. A member of the insti-tute’s board of trustees, Dr. Bonilla toldCWR that “the cultural and linguisticrichness of the student body allowAmerican students to study theologyfrom a variety of perspectives that

strengthen their understanding andadmiration for the Catholic Church.”

Father James McCann, S.J., execu-tive director of the United States Con-ference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad HocCommittee to Aid the Catholic Churchin Central and Eastern Europe, whichhas given $1.5 million to the instituteover the past decade, concurs:

In a unique way it brings togeth-er Catholics from the East andWest...It brings together and buildstrue mutual respect for the tradi-tions of Latin and Eastern RiteCatholics alike. It has created a lov-ing community in which familiesthrive and where young and oldgenuinely learn from each other. Itprovides at the same time a strongtheological and philosophical for-mation and a community of learn-ing to bridge the academic and thepastoral dimensions of Catholiclife.

INFLUENCE IN ACADEMIAReflecting upon the first decade of

the ITI’s existence, Dr. Waldstein toldCWR that “we have succeeded for themost part in reaching our main goal,which is the deep formation of themind and also the heart of our studentsand faculty through a rigorous theolog-ical education at the feet of the great

THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT, February 2007

During their years at theinstitute, Eastern Catholicstudents become morefamiliar with the Rosary,while Westerners becomeacquainted with the haunt-ing strains of the Akathist—a Byzantine hymn to OurLady composed by St.Romanos the Melodist inthe sixth century.

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masters of theology in a rich setting ofChristian community.”

Perhaps because of the rigor of thetheological education, any concern thatgraduates of a new institute wouldhave difficulty being accepted for stud-ies elsewhere or finding academic posi-tions has proven unfounded. Thirtygraduates are studying for advanceddegrees, and dozens more are involvedin the educational world:

• nearly three dozen alumni are on thefaculty or staff of colleges and uni-versities in Austria, Estonia, Israel,Italy, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Ukraine,and the U.S.

• a dozen are involved in secondaryschool education, and one foundeda Catholic middle school in SouthCarolina

• five teach in seminaries in India,Italy, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the U.S.

Father Gregory Arby, an Indianpriest who is now a professor of dog-

matic theology at St. Joseph’s PontificalSeminary in Kerala and editor of aCatholic magazine, told CWR that “mythinking pattern became more in thedirect track with the Church because ofthe ITI.” Oleg Novoselsky, who teachesat a Ukrainian university and seminary,says that his years in Austria havehelped him develop “lucidity in think-ing and in presenting arguments, pru-dence in theological research, faithful-ness to the truth, to the Church.”

The writings of three young alumnihave already exerted an influence inthe theological world. The author ofMen and Women Are from Eden: A StudyGuide to Pope John Paul II’s Theology ofthe Body, Mary Healy is also coeditor ofBehind the Text: History and Biblical Inter-pretation and Out of Egypt: Biblical Theol-ogy and Biblical Interpretation. Alyssa LyraPitstick’s newly published Light inDarkness: Hans Urs von Balthasar and theCatholic Doctrine of Christ’s Descent intoHell has provoked much discussion

in the journal First Things. FatherJohannes Schwarz’s doctoral disser-tation on limbo was noted last yearin European and American Catholicmedia venues as diverse as CatholicWorld News and the National CatholicReporter.

In addition, an American alumnus iseditor of Sophia Institute Press, whileanother, now academic dean at a publiccharter school, has served as editor ofEmmaus Road Publishing.

INFLUENCE IN THE CHURCHThe influence of the institute’s alum-

ni extends beyond the world of Catholicacademia and publishing. A remarkable20 percent of the institute’s alumni arepriests, religious, consecrated laity,or seminarians. While some found theirvocations during or after their yearsat the institute, others—particularlyEastern Catholics—were sent to theITI by their bishops for seminary study.Msgr. Larry Hogan, who has servedas the ITI’s president for the past year,told CWR, “Among the most significantaccomplishments I would not leaveout the seminary program which con-tinues to prepare a generation of newpriests for service to the church. Basedon the spiritualities of both lungs ofthe Church, East and West, it wouldbe difficult to find its equal in theChurch.”

One former student, Fr. FlorinVasiloni, is now an archpriest withoversight over 27 parishes; he served asthe Romanian Greek Catholic Church’sofficial representative to theparliament’s national prayer break-fast in November. A British alumnusrecently wrote the diaconate trainingtexts for his archdiocese. Austrian andAmerican alumni have served asstaff or board directors of pro-lifeorganizations and lay apostolates,including Jugend fuer das Leben(Youth for Life), the World YouthAlliance, and Catholics United for theFaith.

It is perhaps in Eastern Europe,though, that the institute’s influencehas been most manifest. “Graduateshave begun to exert a very positiveinfluence on the life of the Church overa remarkably wide array of countries,extending from Central and EasternEurope to the farthest reaches of theformer Soviet Union,” Father McCanntold CWR. “In a variety of settings,from family life centers in Lithuania toyouth formation teams in Ukraine,from catechetical groups in Romania

and Slovakia to parish councils inTbilisi, Georgia, graduates are buildingthe pastoral capacity of the CatholicChurch and helping to form a Catholicconscience for today’s Europe.”

Several Eastern European alumniwork for their dioceses, whether asfamily life directors or bishops’ secre-taries, while others work in parishmarriage and family life ministry orreligious education. A Lithuanianalumnus who is a doctoral candidateat the Sorbonne writes commentarieson the Sunday readings for theInternet version of his nation’s largestnewspaper. A Czech alumnus found-ed a consulting group that is raisingfunds to build a major pilgrimage andretreat center. An Estonian alumnus isspokesman for the Catholic Church inhis nation and has helped translatethe Roman Missal and the Catechism ofthe Catholic Church into his nativetongue. One alumnus is business man-ager for a Greek Catholic journal;another is president of a Catholic radiostation in Lithuania. One alumna issecretary to the president of aUkrainian Catholic university, whileanother serves as secretary to the headof a religious community.

FUTURE CHALLENGESThe institute’s ecclesiastical degrees

were recently granted recognition bythe Republic of Austria and thus by theEuropean Union. In preparing thepaperwork for this recognition, the ITIhad to examine the differences that dis-tinguish it from other Catholic theolog-ical institutions.

Commenting on these differences,ITI president Msgr. Hogan, an American-born priest incardinated in the Arch-diocese of Vienna, told CWR:

In general it may be said that the ITI provides a stronger philosophi-cal foundation and Thomistic orientation than that offered by similar institutions. Introductorycourses in which the professor lectures to explain the material areless common at the ITI ,whichemphasizes the reading of textsand their discussion (seminarmethod) even at introductory lev-els of learning . . . This method isreserved for more advanced stu-dents at other faculties . . .

Because of its mission to be abridge between the Eastern and theWestern branches of the Church,the ITI provides a number of cours-

THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT, February 2007

One former student, Fr. Florin Vasiloni, is now anarchpriest with oversightover 27 parishes; he servedas the Romanian GreekCatholic Church’s officialrepresentative to the parlia-ment’s national prayerbreakfast in November.

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es in Byzantine theology, combinedwith a rich Byzantine liturgical lifethat is not found elsewhere inAustria and very seldom else-where. Taking seriously its special-ization in marriage and family, theITI provides the theological foun-dation for this study without, how-ever, the practical courses in coun-seling, etc., that would be charac-teristic of a marriage and familyinstitute as such, which the ITI as atheological school is not.

While both Dr. Waldstein and Msgr.Hogan—who earned his doctorate atthe Hebrew University of Jerusalemand knows eleven languages—serveon commissions of the Austrian bish-ops’ conference, “this does not meanthat all the bishops in Austria areenthusiastic supporters of the ITI,”says Msgr. Hogan. “Bishops who havetheological faculties in their diocesesare committed to supporting them.”Nevertheless, he says, “The accep-tance of the ITI in Austria hasgrown stronger over the years,although some members of theologi-cal faculties still consider the ITI ascompetition.”

Since its inception, the ITI has heldclasses at Kartause Maria Thron inGaming [pronounced Gah-ming], aformer Carthusian monastery thathouses the Austrian program of Fran-ciscan University of Steubenville, whichplayed a key role in the ITI’s earlydevelopment. According to archivalmaterial provided to CWR by Fran-ciscan University chancellor Fr. MichaelScanlan, T.O.R., the ITI was foundedfollowing the closure of a marriageand family institute in the Nether-lands. After the German bishops wereinvited to continue the work of theinstitute (and demurred), the Holy Seeasked the Austrian bishops to do so,and through the assistance of Francis-can University, the ITI began to offerclasses a year before its opening as apontifical institute.

Kartause Maria Thron also housesthe Language and Catechetical Insti-tute and the Austrian program of AveMaria University, whose students takeclasses at the ITI. The ITI is currentlyseeking larger facilities closer toVienna.

In a letter published last year on theinstitute’s web site, Cardinal Schoen-born wrote that the Congregation forCatholic Education is encouraging theITI to add more faculties and become a

Catholic university. Unti l a full-fledged faculty of 12 chairs develops,however, “it would be premature ofspeak of developing into the CatholicUniversity of Austria,” Msgr. Hogan

told CWR. “The move to a new cam-pus should solidify our identity in ahealthy way and compel us to interactmore frequently with other theologicalfaculties in Central Europe.”

Whether or not the institute growsinto a Catholic university, Msgr.Hogan desires to continue the insti-tute’s legacy of service to the Church.“A short time after our local ordinary[Bishop Klaus Kueng] became bishopof the diocese [St. Poelten], Dr. Wald-stein and [I] had a long talk with thenew bishop . . . We went and asked thebishop: ‘How can we help you and thediocese, Your Excellency?’ With thatattitude we want to say to all of thebishops who send students to us: Howcan we help you? How can the ITI bet-ter serve the Church? In that spirit theITI is going forward.”

While the ITI is already having aremarkable influence through the livesof i ts graduates, Father McCannbelieves that “it is in the future that wewill see most clearly the lasting bene-fits of Gaming. The Gaming network is

already strong. So many well-edu-cated Catholics, fluent in English, fastbecoming the lingua franca of all ofEurope, and keeping in close touchto share and reflect on their exper-

iences—this group will contributemighti ly to the leadership of theChurch.”

In this way, the pontifical institutethat the Church entrusted to the pa-tronage of St. Zdislava will continueto fulfill the hopes expressed by PopeJohn Paul in her canonization homily:

Her example seems remarkablytimely, particularly with regard tothe value of the family, which—sheteaches us—must be open to God, tothe gift of life and to the needs of thepoor. Our saint is a marvelous wit-ness to the “Gospel of the family”and to the “Gospel of Life,” whichthe Church is more than ever com-mitted to spreading during thistransition from the second to thethird Christian millennium. �

JEFF ZIEGLER, an alumnus of the Inter-national Theological Institute, writes fromNorth Carolina.

� Newly ordained graduateFr.Yuriy Kolasa of Ukrainegives a fellow ITI graduatehis priestly blessing.

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