Pontifical Oriental Institute Founded 1917

Today in 1917, Pope Benedict XV founded the Pontificium Institutum Orientalium, the Pontifical Institute for Oriental Studies, now the premier center for the study of Eastern Christianity. In 1922 the institute was entrusted to the care of the Jesuits. In the 1928 encyclical Rerum Orientalium, Pope Pius XI encouraged bishops to send students to the Institute to be formed as future professors in Oriental studies. The Faculty of Oriental Canon Law had a crucial role in the production of Code of Canon Law for the Oriental Churches. Since 1993, the Grand Chancellor of the Oriental Institute has been the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. The school is sometimes simply referred to as “The Orientale”. For a history of the Institute see here:

(Adapted from Wikiepdia)