Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has appointed 24 new members to the International Theological Commission and renewed the appointments of six existing members for another five years, beginning the Commission’s 2026 to 2031 term with greater representation from Asia, Africa and South America.
The Commission will have 30 members during the new term, compared with 28 in the previous five year period. The appointments also increase the participation of women and lay people, reflecting a wider range of backgrounds and experiences within the Church’s theological work.
Among those confirmed for another term is Monsignor Piero Coda, who will continue as the Commission’s Secretary General. The other five members whose mandates have been renewed are Father Alberto Cozzi, Father Simon Francis Gaine, Professor Reinhard Huetter, Sister Isabell Naumann and Sister Josee Ngalula.
The International Theological Commission assists the Holy See, particularly the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in examining important questions of Catholic doctrine and matters relevant to the Church today. It brings together theologians from different countries, academic traditions and ecclesial backgrounds to contribute to the Church’s understanding of theological issues.
The new membership includes priests, religious sisters and lay academics working in universities, theological faculties and Church institutions across the world.
The representation of women has increased from five to eight, including five laywomen. Alongside three laymen, they bring the total number of lay members to eight, double the number in the previous term.
Europe has 13 representatives, one fewer than before. Asia and Africa each have four members, compared with three in the previous term, while South America has five, up from four. North America retains three representatives, and Australia has one.
The 24 newly appointed members include Monsignor Carlo Dell’Osso, Secretary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, and Monsignor LubomĂr Žák, a professor at the Saints Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology at PalackĂ˝ University Olomouc in Czechia.
Other appointees include Father Gilbert De Lima, Executive Secretary of the Commission for Theology and Doctrine of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, and Father Clarence Devadass, Director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The new members also include Father Patrick Mwania, Vice Chancellor of Tangaza University in Nairobi, Kenya; Sister Shu Chin (Maria Teresa) Hu, an extraordinary professor at the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of Saint Robert Bellarmine in Taipei, Taiwan; and Professor Teresa Hyeon Soon Choi of Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.
Several other members hold academic and leadership positions at Catholic universities and theological institutions in Europe, North America and South America. Their appointments bring together expertise in different areas of theology and reflect the Commission’s international character.
The appointments mark the beginning of the Commission’s eleventh five year term. Its next plenary session is scheduled for November 23 to 27, when members are expected to gather as part of its regular work.
Pope Paul VI established the International Theological Commission in 1969 within the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, now known as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Its members are appointed by the Pope for five year terms, following a proposal from the Dicastery’s Prefect and consultation with Bishops’ Conferences.
The Commission’s studies are submitted to the Pope and made available to the Dicastery to support its work. Its members are selected for their theological scholarship and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium.
Pope John Paul II approved the Commission’s definitive statutes in 1982. Since its establishment, the Commission has published 33 documents with the approval of its president, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The new appointments continue the Commission’s role in supporting the Church’s doctrinal work while bringing a broader range of geographical, academic and lay perspectives into its discussions.