Heythrop-Roehampton merger thrown into doubt

Difficulties have emerged which may block the expected merger between Heythrop College and the University of Roehampton in west London.

The Tablet understands that after months of discussions over a possible future partnership, concern about the Bellarmine Institute, which is the ecclesiastical faculty at Heythrop, has proved to be the sticking point. Its programmes form part of the formation of seminarians preparing for ordination to the priesthood and are recognised by Rome, giving the Bellarmine the status of a pontifical institute. 

The Tablet also understands that discussions relating to a possible future partnership have also been complicated due to the large number of stakeholders involved. These include the Jesuits in Britain, who own Heythrop College, the authorities at Roehampton and the president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols. 

Also involved in discussions are the Jesuits in Rome and the Congregation for Education, which has expressed concerns about the status of the Bellarmine Institute, if it were to come under the “umbrella” of a secular university such as Roehampton, albeit one with Catholic origins. An arrangement of this kind would usually require a legal document, or concordat. 

A spokesman for Heythrop said the college  is not “issuing a statement at this time”. “Work and discussions about the future are continuing,” he added, and the college will issue a full statement “in due course”. Roehampton  has said discussions are “still ongoing”.

Heythrop’s governing body met last week to discuss the partnership, but a spokesman for the college said a final decision was yet to be made. Talks between the two institutions began in December 2015 after Heythrop announced it would close because of a funding deficit. The 400-year-old Catholic college in west London, which specialises in theology and philosophy, was originally planning a partnership with St Mary’s University, Twickenham. But year-long talks collapsed in June 2015 after it became clear there was “insufficient consensus to move forward with a viable, financially sustainable model”.

The college has benefited from grants from the Society of Jesus, with which it retains a close relationship, but in recent years the Jesuits’ capacity to bridge the gap in income has weakened. The high costs of administration of a small college in an increasingly competitive education market have also proved a major difficulty. 

Heythrop was founded by the Jesuits in 1614 and is today an autonomous college of the University of London. Last year 22 philosophers, a number of whom are in charge of university philosophy departments, signed a letter calling for the college to be saved. The letter, sent by the British Philosophical Association, said the closure of Heythrop would be a “tragedy”. Heythrop is due to close in 2018 if no partnership deal is found.