structure of the Institute on the juridical, academic and economic levels. The Institute began to receive students from a wide variety of churches, who were also given accommodation. The Institute took its inspiration from the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, which in Nostra aetate n. 4 affirms: given such a great spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews, the Council wants to encourage and recommend mutual esteem and knowledge, born of biblical and theological studies as well as from fraternal dialogue. The Institute therefore wanted to provide to Catholics and other Christians the possibility of knowing and studying the religious tradition of Israel, its sources (prayer, commentaries on Scripture, midrash, mishnah, Talmud, history, etc.), in living contact with the Jewish people, in the context of dialogue and cooperation between the church and the Jewish people. The Institute maintained relations with faculties, religious and ecclesiastical institutes, and all university institutions or pastoral centres of study that were interested in giving their students a formation and specialization in Jewish studies, and preparing future teachers in this area. The teaching body of the Institute consisted of Christians who have experience of collaboration with Jewish institutes of study and research, chiefly the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There is also visiting and invited staff and lecturers, both Christians and Jews. Theology students of the second cycle could obtain a Certificate in Jewish Studies within a year, and a Diploma in Jewish Studies with a second year. This diploma can be credited to these students within their regular course of study. Agreements to this effect exist with the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic Institute of Paris, with that of Toronto. In 1996, the Centre (CCEJ) began publishing the Cahiers Ratisbonne. In 1998, the Centre became a Pontifical Institute. Three years later, in 2001, the Congregation for Catholic Education decreed that the Pontifical Center of Jewish Studies at Ratisbonne be closed. The Centre was transferred to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and incorporated with the Centro Cardinal Bea per gli Studi Giudaici. The Fathers of Sion retained the north wing of the monastery, where the CCEJ continues to function. The Centre has a small library; the books left behind in the original library in the main building were taken over and incorporated in the library of the STS (see below). Studium Theologicum Salesianum In 2004, the Vatican asked the Salesians of Don Bosco to