Via, Veritas, Vita

The motto as it appears on the arms of the city of Arad, Romania.

Via, Veritas, Vita (Classical Latin: [ˈwi.a ˈweːritaːs ˈwiːta], Ecclesiastical Latin: [ˈvi.a ˈveritas ˈvita]) is a Latin phrase meaning "The Way, The Truth, The Life" in English. It is taken from the Bible, and was spoken by Jesus Christ in reference to himself. It has since been used as motto by various educational institutions and governments.

History

John 14:6 sign along U.S. Route 66 in Shamrock in Wheeler County, Texas

It is found in verse 6 of chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, as part of Christ's Farewell Discourse during the Last Supper:

"⁵Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ ⁶Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’"(New Revised Standard Version)

In the Latin Vulgate, it is written as via et veritas et vita.^[1]

Usage as a motto

Government

• Arad, the capital of Arad County, Romania.
• The variation Veritas, Via, Vitae, appears on the seal of the Province of Negros Oriental, the Philippines.

Educational institutions

The motto also appears on the arms of the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Higher education

• University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland founded 1451
• Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois, United States, founded 1846
• Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, Anglican theological college, Permanent Private Hall of University of Oxford, founded 1877
• Kings University College at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, founded 1878

• Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts, founded 1900
• Japan Women's University in Tokyo, Japan, founded 1901
• Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Philippines, founded 1901
• Providence University College and Theological Seminary in Otterburne, Manitoba, Canada founded 1925
• Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary in Madurai, India, founded 1969

Secondary education

• Our Lady of Mercy High School in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, founded 1928
• Bishop Garcia Diego High School in Santa Barbara, California, founded 1959
• St. Thomas High School in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada, founded 1960
• St. Francis Xavier College in Beaconsfield, Berwick, Officer, Victoria, Australia, founded 1978
• St. Philip's Christian College in Waratah, New South Wales, Australia, founded 1982
• John Paul College in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, founded 1983
• Christ the King College in Newport, Isle of Wight, England, founded 2008
• Saint John Fisher Catholic College in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire

It is also the motto of some Canossian schools:

• Sacred Heart Canossian College in Hong Kong
• Sacred Heart Canossian College of Commerce in Hong Kong
• Sacred Heart Canossian Kindergarten in Hong Kong
• Sacred Heart Canossian School in Hong Kong
• Sacred Heart Canossian School Private Section in Hong Kong
• Saint Anthony's Canossian Secondary School in Bedok, Singapore

See also

• List of mottos
• List of university mottos

Notes and references

External links

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