The right to grant a licentia docendi (i.e. the doctorate) was originally reserved to the Catholic church, which required the applicant to pass a test, to take an oath of allegiance and to pay a fee. The Third Council of the Lateran of 1179 guaranteed access—at that time largely free of charge—to all able applicants. Applicants were tested for aptitude.[2] This right remained a bone of contention between the church authorities and the universities, which were slowly distancing themselves from the Church. In 1213 the right was granted by the pope to the University of Paris, where it became a universal license to teach (licentia ubique docendi).[2] However, while the licentia continued to hold a higher prestige than the bachelor's degree (baccalaureus), |