Marian doctrine has developed over many centuries, and been studied and codified by Councils of the Church as well as by the foremost theologians of the religious orders and universities. However, Marian revelations by individuals are not always accepted by the Church. The Roman Catholic Church has established a specific discipline for the study of the person, role and significance of the Virgin Mary, and her veneration. This is the discipline of Mariology. Pontifical schools such as the Marianum are specifically devoted to this field of study.