On July 31, 1924, the inter-province Conference of Lecturers published a “Plan for Higher Studies in the Provinces” (Van Dam 2006: 90). Because of advances in the behavioral and natural sciences between the First and Second World Wars, the Franciscans started to renew their training. Non-theological subjects, such as economy and sociology, were included in the curriculum. This inter-province college was comprised of lecturers from Flanders, Wallonia, The Netherlands and Germany, and it aimed at unification of priestly formation. Most striking was the separation of philosophy and theology. Philosophy became an independent discipline to be taught in a philosophicum.

Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, loc. 84