Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has formally approved a revised statute for the Pontifical International Marian Academy, marking a significant step in updating the governance and mission framework of the institution dedicated to Marian and mariological studies across the world.
The approval was granted during an audience with Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State. A rescript released on February 7 by the Holy See Press Office confirmed that the new statute reflects the need to adapt the Academy’s norms to its evolving role, while ensuring coherence with the present structure of the Roman Curia.
The updated rules acknowledge the growing scope of the Academy’s mission in promoting scholarly research on the Blessed Virgin Mary and coordinating international academic collaboration in mariology. Vatican sources noted that the revision was prompted by changes in ecclesial structures and by the Academy’s expanding engagement with global theological and cultural dialogue.
The Pontifical International Marian Academy has a long and distinguished history within the Church. As Pope Francis recalled in his address to the Pontifical Academies on December 4, 2019, the Academy has consistently supported the Universal Magisterium through rigorous research and cooperation among academic institutions. He highlighted its contribution as evidence that mariology plays an essential role in fostering intercultural dialogue and nurturing fraternity and peace within the Church and beyond.
Founded in 1946 by the Order of Friars Minor in collaboration with the Commissio Mariana Franciscana, the Academy was initially created to organize Marian studies and promote Marian devotion within the Franciscan Order. From its inception, both bodies were entrusted to the leadership of Fr. Carlo Balić, a key figure behind their establishment and at the time rector of the Pontifical Antonianum University as well as head of its Chair of Mariology.
The Academy’s international profile grew steadily in the decades that followed. In 1950, the Holy See entrusted it with the organization of the International Mariological-Marian Congresses, a responsibility that further consolidated its role as a global reference point for Marian scholarship. This recognition was formally sealed on December 8, 1959, when Pope Saint John XXIII, through the Motu Proprio Maiora in dies, acknowledged the Academy’s contribution to the development of Marian doctrine and devotion and granted it the title “Pontifical.”
With this designation, the Academy was officially mandated to coordinate meetings of mariologists worldwide, promote high-level research on the Blessed Virgin Mary, and encourage forms of Marian devotion grounded in sound theology. From that moment, the Pontifical International Marian Academy emerged as a central institution linking academic excellence with ecclesial life.
Institutionally, the Academy has undergone several phases of integration and oversight. Initially placed under the authority of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, now the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, its coordination with other Pontifical Academies was later entrusted to the Pontifical Council for Culture under the 1997 statutes. Following the promulgation of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, this responsibility was transferred to the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
A key milestone came on May 18, 1972, when the Academy was formally integrated into the Pontifical Antonianum as a specialized academic body in the field of mariology. Its institutional growth continued in December 2012, when the Pontifical Academy of the Immaculate was incorporated into its structure, further strengthening its scholarly and devotional mission.
The newly approved statute is expected to guide the Academy as it continues to serve the Church through research, education, and international collaboration, ensuring that Marian studies remain a vital and dynamic presence in contemporary theological reflection.