Quality as a Dimension of Ecclesiality

Franco IMODA

Università Pontificia Gregoriana, Piazza della Pilotta 4, 00187 Rome, Italy , Italy

Abstract

Reflecting on the ten-year activity of the Holy See’s Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO), the author addresses the ways in which a focus on quality might help better understand the identity of Catholic universities and design activities which enable better fulfillment of their mission. Pointing to the complex reality of the Church, he stresses that ecclesiastical institutions of higher education must be looked at from both the theological and psychosocial perspectives. He refers, among others, to Avery Dulles’s description of the models of the Church and Thomas O’Dea’s classification of dilemmas faced by Church institutions. In particular, he discusses the identity of such institutions in terms of the theological category of res et sacramentum and points to their distinguishing characteristics, giving particular attention to the issue of authority, or leadership, conceived of as service.

Keywords:

AVEPRO, quality management, the Church as sacrament, leadership in the Church