St. Paul Institute of Theology

Our Vision

Segregati in Evangelium Christi
ad Obedienatum Fidei
in Omnibus Gentibus

Set apart for the Gospel of Christ,
for Obedience of Faith in all Peoples

(Cf. Rom 1:1,5)

Living the Faith
with St. Paul

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me.

Our Mission

To teach Catholic faith in a progressive manner.

To promote integral philosophical, theological, pastoral and spiritual formation.

To foster missionary values and zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel.

To promote contextual theology for the building up of the Reign of God.

To promote pastoral thrust for the empowerment of the Dalits, the Poor and the Subaltern.

To cultivate a positive and critical understanding of various philosophical and theological thought patterns and ideologies.

To understand Tamil and Indian cultures and literatures in the light of the Bible.

To promote ecumenical dialogue for Christian unity.

To promote dialogue with other faiths, atheism, ideologies and cultures.

To promote the teachings of the Church in Tamil.

To promote the study of Christian Theology among the Religious and the Laity.

Rev. Dr. Xavier Terrence T.

Message from the Director

Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings!

The academic year 2026-2027 blooms at the background of the light from Magnifica Humanitas (MH) of Leo XIV. The initiative of Leo XIV assures humanity the direction of the Church against the boom of development. His distant predecessor Leo XIII in the context of ‘Industrial Revolution’ which promoted industrialisation, mechanisation and exploitation of workers, wrote Rerum Novarum on May 15, 1891. After 135 years another Leo is addressing the concerns of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) through his first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published on May 15, 2026. Both uphold the dignity of men and women, the right to work, the relationship among men and women and common good. The danger of reducing men and women to mere data, economic units and programmable objects has already set in. The Leo-s address with concern the economic system that concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few industrialists and the concentration of technological power, data, decision making, etc. in a small number of corporates and institutions. Magnifica Humanitas stresses that the technological and social advancements should aim at common good and be accountable to ethical principles. The Church thus breathes amidst the vicissitudes of men and women and promotes and safeguards human dignity, the dignity given by God.

Responsible stewardship of technological progress is the centre of the mission of the Church today and the concern of humanity.

Thus, the formation of those who are specially called to work in the vineyard of God should help to dialogue with human sciences. The philosophical and theological learning should develop the capacity for critical discernment of the technological developments especially the AI by shedding the light of Christian Anthropology. The faith formation programmes in the Christian Institutes of Philosophy and Theology should enable the students to connect the Sacred Scripture, the Christian Philosophy and Theology with the current social realities (MH, 20-29).

In addition, Christian formation should be centred on the ‘dignity’ of the human person created in the ‘image’ and the ‘likeness’ of God (Gen 1:26-27). We, men and women, find our fulfilment in communion and self-giving love. Hence, the teachers and the students should be interested in developing relational maturity, solidarity and the capacity for self-gift (MH, 48-49).

Finally, formation today at all levels from home to university, is in need of educating ‘truth’ and ‘responsible digital citizenship’ forming ‘educational alliance’ for the digital age (MH, 145-156). Thus, we all learn to seek truth, exercise freedom responsibly and resist manipulation; we become capable of freedom, truth and authentic human relationship balancing digital engagement with prayer, formation for future ministry, family life and real human relationships.

God makes “everything beautiful in its time” (Cf. Eccl 3:11). The beauty of our time is the digital advancement! Let us make use of it and never misuse it or become slave to it. Let us become “weavers of hope” like Mary who can bring with the help of the Holy Spirit the “civilization of love” in the era of AI (MH, 245).

God bless.