The project of a Patristic Studies and Ancient Christian Literature Center foundation (hereinafter C.S.P.L.C.A.) was born in September 2011, the moment in which the Dean of the Augustinianum Institute of Patristic Studies of the San Giovanni In Laterano Pontifical University from the Vatican, Fr. prof. Robert Dodaro O.S.A., Ph.D., answered affirmatively to the invitation sent by the “Babeș-Bolyai” University of Cluj-Napoca to visit the city of Cluj-Napoca and, at the same time, the greatest Romanian University.
The C.S.P.L.C.A. foundation was prefigured by a series of conferences on patristic topics (November 2011 – October 2016) which highlighted the interest of the Cluj university world in the rich Christian thinking of the first centuries. Origen, St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom and many other Christian thinkers offered the happy opportunity of meeting, debate and dialogue between the different Romanian and foreign researchers, belonging to the most varied academic milieu and Christian confessions.
The most important moments of the collaboration between the various Faculties and Study Centers from Romania and from abroad were:
• St. Dionysius the Areopagite. Origins, context, reception, International Patristic Symposium, organized by the “Babeș-Bolyai” University (represented by the Faculties of Orthodox, Greek-Catholic, Reformed, Roman-Catholic Theology, Faculty of Letters, Faculty of History-Philosophy) in cooperation with the Romanian Greek-Catholic Eparchy United with Rome of Cluj-Gherla, with the Cluj, Maramures and Salaj Orthodox Metropolitan See and with the Augustinianum Patristic Institute, between 16-17 October 2014 at Cluj-Napoca.
• Merciful like the Father, International Patristic Symposium, organized by the “Babeș-Bolyai” University (represented by the Faculties of Orthodox, Greek-Catholic, Reformed, Roman-Catholic Theology, Faculty of Letters, Faculty of History-Philosophy) in cooperation with the Greek-Catholic Romanian Eparchy United with Rome of Cluj-Gherla, with the Cluj, Maramures and Salaj Orthodox Metropolitan See and with the Augustinianum Patristic Institute, between 14-15 October 2014 at Cluj-Napoca.
The rich chromatic of the various subjects and confessions are the essence of the C.S.P.L.C.A.
The inter-disciplinary character (Ancient History and Philosophy, Classic Languages), as well as the inter-confessional character (Orthodox Theology, Greek-Catholic Theology, Roman-Catholic Theology and Reformed Theology) are the foundation on which C.S.P.L.C.A. wishes to build its own identity and architecture, foundations intimately anchored in the values promoted by the “Babeș – Bolyai” University.
All these stages and dimensions of the scientific collaboration led to the signature of an inter-university Framework Agreement in 2017 May 17, between the “Babeș-Bolyai” University and the San Giovanni in Laterano University (on which the Augustinianum Institute of Patristic Studies depends), Agreement which prefigures and sanctions the establishment of an inter-disciplinary and inter-confessional Center for the research of the history, literary forms and ideas of the Christian ancient and patristic tradition.
The “Babeș-Bolyai” University Board of Administration convened in 2018 November 19, took into consideration and followed on the Resolution of the Scientific Council of the same University of November 19, 2018 by which it was resolved the accreditation of the C.S.P.L.C.A.
Moreover, subsequent to the vote of the concerned authorities, on the 3rdof December 2018, the “Babeș-Bolyai” University Senate decided the accreditation of the C.S.P.L.C.A.