Welcome

Welcome to the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University. We are pleased that you have taken the time to visit our pages. We hope that you will find something of interest on these pages.

History

The Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University (in Czech, the Katolická Teologická Fakulta, Univerzita Karlova v Praze or KTF-UK) was the founding faculty of today’s Charles University in Prague. Canonically, KTF was enacted by pope Clement VI on January 26, 1347, and established by the Roman Empire and Czech king Charles IV by royal decree on April 7, 1348. It’s legal existence has been continual since that time.  KTF was removed as a faculty from Charles University in 1950 because of the persecution of the Catholic Church by the then communism government. After the “Velvet Revolution” of 1989, the Faculty was reintegrated into Charles University.

Legal Status

In accordance with The Universities Act No. 111/1998 Sb., KTF is a legal entity within Charles University. This act, the internal statutes of the university and the internal statutes of the Faculty are the legal basis for its operation. The Roman Catholic Church also exercises its right to instruct its spiritual and lay people (§ 6 art. 3 ltr. a) Freedom of religion, statute of church and religious groups Act No. 3/2002 Sb.). From a canonical standpoint, KTF has the status of “a church faculty (facultas ecclesiastica)”; its activity is defined by the 1983 Canon Law Code, the Apostolic Constitution of John Paul II Sapientia Christiana dated April 15, 1979 with attached guidelines (Ordinationes), and other ordinations from the Vatican.

Mission

The mission of the Faculty is consistent with the mission of the university:

“the spreading of education and protection of knowledge, the cultivation of free thinking, independent scientific research as well as original artistic production, and the  universal fostering of the creative mind of human society” (Statute of Charles University chapter 2, paragraph 1)

At the foundation of KTF is their mission of “Christian thinking is always broadly and publicly present in all efforts for higher culture” (2. Vat. council, Declaration of Christian Education, Gravissimus Educationis, 10). KTF fulfills this mission in several different scientific disciplines, primarily Catholic theology, by scientific research, education of students and an effort to apply its knowledge to the entire evangelical experience. A salient part of its activities is fostering the scientific formation of spiritual and lay workers of the church and their life-long education. KTF therefore pursues accredited study programs and life-long study programs as well as scientific research and development, artistic endeavors and other activities.

Today

Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University in Prague has today about 800 students taking bachelor's, master's and doctoral full-time and combined courses, with others involved in Lifelong Education programmes. The increasing number of doctorates awarded testifies the quality of teaching and the interest in the Faculty.

The Dean of the Faculty is Professor Dr. Ludvík Armbruster, SJ.

Grand Chancellor of the Faculty is the Archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk.

The Faculty’s self-governing body is an elected Academic Senate composed of students and teachers.

The Faculty offers two main areas of study:

- Theology, 

- General Theory and History of Art and Culture.