Lex imperfecta, governance and persuasion : the case of quality assurance in Roman Catholic ecclesiastical higher education

With the promulgation of the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium in 2018, Roman Catholic ecclesiastical higher education institutions had a quality evaluation process imposed on them, developed by the Holy See’s Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO). It is yet a case of ‘lex imperfecta’, with no formal consequences following the reviews. This study argues that the Agency is using persuasion in its policy text to ensure institutional buy-in. Persuasive patterns are displayed through the exploration of metadiscourse and its links to Aristotle’s concepts of ethos, pathos and logos. While logos or rational argumentation would more naturally be expected in policy guidelines, the use of metadiscourse markers related to pathos or emotional appeal is high. A supplemental layer of analysis also unearthed a significant level of ethos, a means of convincing the audience by appealing to the authority and credibility of the author(s).