Apostolic Constitution Veterum Sapientia with Ordinationes

Promulgated by Pope John XXIII on February 22, 1962, Veterum Sapientia is an Apostolic Constitution—the Magisterium's most authoritative means of promulgation—that reaffirms the enduring place of Latin and Greek as essential instruments of the Church’s unity, learning, and worship.

Issued on the eve of the Second Vatican Council, Veterum Sapientia calls for renewed attention to the study of these languages, which are the means of communication of the Church’s theological and cultural heritage.

The accompanying Ordinationes, published by the Sacred Congregation of Seminaries and Universities later that year, set forth the concrete norms for carrying out the Constitution’s vision in seminaries and universities throughout the world.

Presented here in a clear multilingual format, this edition places the authoritative Latin text and its English translation on facing pages, while the French and Spanish versions follow. Designed for scholars, seminarians, and teachers of theology and the sacred languages, Veterum Sapientia and the Ordinationes bears enduring witness to the Church’s commitment to the linguistic patrimony that sustains her intellectual, liturgical, and spiritual life.