About Us
The Pontifical Biblical Institute was established by Pope Pius X with the Apostolic Letter Vinea Electa of May 7, 1909, in order to be:
"a center of higher studies for Sacred Scripture in the city of Rome and all related studies according to the spirit of the Catholic Church".
Apostolic Letter
Our Mission
The Mission of the Orientale has as its objective research, teaching, and publications in relation to the traditions of the Eastern Churches regarding liturgy, theology, patristics, history, canon law, literature and languages, spirituality, archeology, and issues of ecumenical and geopolitical relevance.
Our Vision
To cultivate and promote, by means of scholarly research, the biblical and relevant ancient Near Eastern disciplines, in order to obtain "a more profound understanding and exposition of the meaning of Sacred Scripture" (Dei Verbum, §12).
Rector’s Vision for the Future
With the rapid globalization of the world, the Pontifical Oriental Institute remains a world leader in interfaith and intercultural dialogue.
As the Orientale has students from across the Christian East, where there is war and the threat of war, it has a renewed focus on what the Church can do to serve countries in the struggle for peace and justice, just as for those communities in diaspora that must study their traditions and adapt them to new realities.