Norberto Castillo


Norberto Mendiola Castillo, O.P. was the 91st Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest and the largest Catholic university in Asia, from 1982–1990.

Biography

Castillo was born on November 20, 1943 in Tacloban City, Leyte. He was ordained to the priesthood on September 8, 1973.
From 1978 to 1982, he was the director and principal of UST Angelicum College in Quezon City and became its academic consultant from 1994 to 2002. From 1976 to 1980, he was vice president and dean of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. In the Dominican Province of the Philippines, he was appointed the socius or assistant to the prior provincial from 1977 to 1980.
He served as the Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas for two consecutive terms from 1982 to 1990. At the university, he was elected as dean of the Faculty of Philosophy from 1994 to 1996 and 2008 to 2012, and became the vice rector for religious affairs in 2010. In January 2025, the UST Ecclesiastical Faculties conferred upon him the title of professor emeritus.

Awards and honors

In December 2021, Pope Francis conferred Castillo the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for his exemplary service and contribution to the Church.

Publications

Books

Timeless Thoughts and Timely Reflections
  • ''Nature, Science and Values: Readings''

Articles

Some published articles in Philippiniana Sacra, the official publication of UST Ecclesiastical Faculties.
  • "Visuals and Visualizablity as Scientific Themata"
  • "Socrates: Prophet or King?"
  • "Unique Obsessions: Behind Scientific Discoveries"
  • "On Scanning Scientific Discovering: Plastic Control, Substitutionality and the Bootstrap Problematic"
  • "Aristotle's Open Society"
  • "A Rereading of Scientific Objectivity. Scientific Truth as Subjectivity"