Comillas Pontifical Seminary and University
Comillas Pontifical Seminary and University is a center of ecclesiastical culture in Spain, in the province of Santander, founded at the suggestion of Fr. Tommaso Gomez, SJ, by the marquises of Comillas, Antonio López y López (1817–83) and his son Claudio López y Bru (1853–1925) in their native town.
With the brief *Sempiternam dominici gregis* (16 Dec. 1890), Leo XIII accepted ownership of the magnificent building and laid the foundations for the canonical erection of the new athenaeum, which, directed by the Society of Jesus, would be a pontifical university in name and fact under the patronage of the Holy See through the Apostolic Nuncio to Spain. It was inaugurated on 7 Jan. 1892. Pius X, by the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Studies *Praeclari honoris* (29 Mar. 1904), raised it to the rank of a university with the right to confer academic degrees in philosophy, theology, and canon law. Pius XI approved the new statutes in conformity with the constitution *Deus scientiarum Dominus*.
Alongside its three higher faculties, Comillas has always promoted the thorough study of classical letters and of the national patrimony. Founded to be «a glory of religion and a most useful work for the Church» (foundation brief), it has supplied the entire ecclesiastical hierarchy of Spanish America with countless priests who have distinguished themselves in various fields of religious, social, and scientific apostolate and in the fine arts. Its *Schola cantorum*, founded by the Jesuit N. Otano, is also well known. The library of Comillas contains about 100,000 volumes. In the series *Bibliotheca Comillensis* there have appeared notable works, such as those juridico-canonical by Regatillo.
Since 1918 the university has published the monthly review *Sal terra* for the clergy, and since 1942 the *Miscellanea C.*, of a distinctly scientific character, to which the series *Ciencia y Arte e Humanidades* has lately been added.