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 COLLEGE

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COLLEGE

ancient civil law were received into the church law and they are incorporated in the "Corpus Juris". By canonists, a college has been defined as a collection of several rational bodies forming one representative body. Some authors consider Mnu'cra^i/ and com- munity as synonymous terms with college, but others insist that there are points of difference. Thus, there are canonists who define university as a collection of bodies distinct from one another, but employing the same name specially conferred upon them. Pirhing remarks that a community of priests attached to the same church do not form a college unless they are mem- bers of one body whose head is a prelate elected by that body. According to canon law three persons are required to form a college. Some authors maintained that two were sufficient for the purpose, because Pope Innocent, alluding to St. Matthew, xviii, 20, says that no presbyter is to be chosen for a church where two or three form the congregation, except by their canonical election. As congregation here evidently means col- lege, these wi'iters contend that two can therefore form a college. As a matter of fact, however, the pontiff is simply alBrming that the right of election will remain with an already constituted college even though only two of its members remain after the death of the prelate. Pirhing gives as the reason why two cannot constitute a college, that though it be not neces- sary that the college actually have a head, yet it must be at least capable of giving itself a presiding officer, or rector of the college. If, then, there be only two members and one be constituted the head, the other can not form the body, for the body requires several members, and the head is distinct from the body. He does not mean to assert, however, that if a college be reduced to two members, it can not preserve its cor- porate rights. On the contrary, the canon law ex- plicitly affirms that one surviving member can con- serve the privileges of the corporate body, not for him- self personally, but for the college. When a legally constituted college has been reduced to two members, one can elect the other as prelate. If the college be reduced to one member, it becomes a virtual, not an actual, corporation. The single remaining member can exercise the acts belonging to the college, and although he can not elect himself prelate, yet he can choose or nominate some other proper person to the prelacy. He may also commit the election to other persons, or even to one, as the bishop.

The ancient canonists, when stating that three constitute a college, give also the numbers requisite for other canonical bodies, thus: five are necessary to form a imiversity, two a congregation, more than two a family, and ten a parish. Among conspicuous ecclesiastical colleges may be mentioned the Sacred College of Cardinals (see Cardinal) and cathedral and collegiate chapters (see Chapter and Collegiate). The name college is specially applied also to corporate educational bodies within the Church, as without it. Before the Reformation, and even in the first years of Queen Elizabeth, the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge were always spoken of as ecclesiastical corporations. By the present English law they are purely lay cor- porations, even though all their members be clergy- men. The title "Apostolic College" is applied in Rome to those institutions which are immediately subject to and controlled by the Holy See, and are consccpiently exempt from any other spiritual or tem- poral autb.ority; the students are declared to be under the direct protection of the pope. Such insti- tutions are, among others, the College of the Propa- ganda, the German, English, Irish, and Scotch Col- leges, and the North and South American Colleges. (For the Apostles of Jesus Chri.st as a collective authority, see College, Ai-cstolic.)

PinHlNc-.. Jus Canonimm l'riiivrs:,m (Venire, 17591,1; Fer- raris, liiblioth. Canon. (Hc.nie, ISNC), 11: Smith, Dictionary oj IjTcek and HoTnan AntiquilivK (London, 19011,

William II. W. Fanning.

College, Apostolic. — This term designates The Twelve Apostles as the body of men commissioned by Christ to spread the kingdom of God over the whole world and to give it the stability of a well-ordered society: i. e. to be the founders, the foundation, and pillars of the visible Church on earth. The name " apostle " connotes their commission. For an Apostle is a missionary, sent by competent authority, to ex- tend the Gospel to new lands: a tradition, beginning with the sending of The Twelve, has consecrated this meaning of the term to the exclusion of all others which it might derive from its etymology. When we speak of the Apo.stles as a "college", we imply that they worked together under one head and for one purpose. Referring the reader to the article Apos- tles for the Scriptural and positive treatment of the question, we may now deal with its dogmatic aspects.

It is evident, a priori, that Revelation must be transmitted and communicated by means of envoys and teachers accredited by God. The consideration of the nature of revelation and its object shows that no other theory is practically possible. In fact, Christ founded a teaching, governing, and ministering Apostolate, whose charter is contained in Matthew, xxviii, 18-20. " All power is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Going therefore [in virtue of, and endowed with, this My sovereign power: "As the Father hath sent Me, I also .send you " (John, xx, 21)], teach ye [iJ-aB-nreiiaaTe — make to yourselves disciples, teach as having power — Mark, i, 22] all nations; bap- tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them [SiSdu/con-fs] to observe all things wliatsoever I have commanded you \iveTei\aiJ.-qv]: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. " This college of rulers, teachers, and ministers of the sacra- ments was placed under the headship of St. Peter, the rock upon whom the foundations of the Church were established. The many texts referring to this subject (see Apostles) may be summarized as fol- lows: After accomplishing His own mission, Jesu3 Christ, in virtue of His absolute power and authority, sent into the world a body of teachers and preachers presided over by one head. They were His repre- sentatives, and had for their mission to publish to the world all revealed truth until the end of time. Their mission was not exclusively personal; it was to ex- tend to their successors. Mankind were bound to re- ceive them as Christ Himself. That their word might be His word, and might be recognized as such. He promised them His presence and the aid of the Holy Ghost to guarantee the infallibility of tlieir doctrine; He promised external and supernatural signs as vouchers of its authenticity; He gave their doctrine an effective sanction by holding out an eternal reward to those who should faithfully adhere to it, and by threatening with eternal punishments those who should reject it. This concept ion of the Apostolate is set forth in the writings of St. Paul and realized in the practice of all the Apostles (Rom., x, 8-19; Eph., iv, 7-14). It runs through the whole Catholic tradi- tion, and is the very soul of the Church at the present day. The College of the Apostles lives forth in the episcopate, which gradually took its place and filled its functions. There are, however, between the attri- butes of the original Apostles and those of the suc- ceeding hierarchy some differences arising from the circumstance that the Apostles were personally chosen and trained bv Christ to lay the foundation of the Church. That circumstance creates for them an exceptional and iiitransunissible eminence over their successors.

(1) Although both, bishops and Apostles, are ap- pointed by Divine authority, yet the Apostles re- ceived thr-ir connnissiori immediately from Christ, whereas the bishops receive theirs but mediately, \. e. through the medium of I'.uman nufhority. The