In 1621, the Colegio de Manila was authorized to confer university degrees in theology and arts by virtue of the privileges conferred by Pope Gregory XV on colleges of the Society of Jesus. In 1623, Philip IV of Spain confirmed the authorization and in 1732 Philip V of Spain founded two "regius" (royal) professorships in the Colegio, one in canon law and another in civil law, making the school both a pontifical and a royal institution. The Colegio was frequently referred to in contemporary documents as the "Colegio Máximo de San Ignacio" or "Universidad de San Ignacio", the first royal and pontifical university in the Philippines and in Asia.