ROME, September 3, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) ― Almost 200 scholars have signed an open letter to the leaders of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences, protesting the removal of two senior faculty members.
In the short August 20 letter, addressed to Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the grand chancellor of the institute, and Monsignor Pierangelo Sequeri, its president, the academicians ask for the reinstatement of professors Monsignor Livio Melina and Fr. José Noriega.
“We have learned with great concern that Professors Livio Melina and José Noriega have been deprived of their tenured positions,” the scholars wrote.
“We do not see any convincing reason, whether of a scientific-academic nature or of a doctrinal or disciplinary nature, that would justify their removal from their positions,” they continued.
“So that your Institute may maintain its high academic profile and its international prestige, we implore you to revoke this decision and to reinstate the aforementioned scholars into a tenured teaching position at your Institute.”
Melina and Noriega were effectively fired from the John Paul II Institute in July when their chairs (positions) were eliminated. Melina had been a tenured professor of fundamental moral theology at the institute since 1991, and in 2006, he was nominated the president of the institute by Benedict XVI. The then-pontiff reconfirmed Melina in the position in 2010. In 2016, Pope Francis chose Sequeri as Melina’s successor. Fr. Noriega had been a tenured professor of special moral theology at the institute, where he had taken his doctorate, since 2008.
The professors’ dismissals were only two of a number of changes to the institute that caught both its faculty and students off guard. The entire faculty was temporarily suspended, some lecturers ― including personal friends of St. John Paul II ― were dismissed, and the students discovered that some of the courses for which they had signed up in June would not be offered after all.
David Mulroney, a former president of the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, is one of the letter’s signatories. He told LifeSiteNews that what is happening at the John Paul II Institute “should worry all Catholics.”
“What we’re seeing is an attempt to undermine a significant part of Saint John Paul II’s legacy, namely his dedication to a faithful and intellectually rigorous understanding of the sanctity of human life and the centrality of the family in human society,” he said via email.
“My experience at a Catholic University taught me that those who seek to undermine an institution’s Catholic identity often display two tendencies that, at first blush, seem mutually exclusive: a public show of support for academic and intellectual freedom, coupled with the ruthless suppression of such freedom by underhanded methods,” he continued.
“We need to shine a bright light on what’s happening at the JPII Institute.”
Other signatories included renowned apologist Scott W. Hahn, a professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville; Robert P. George of Princeton University; theologian C.C. Pecknold of the Catholic University of America; and the celebrated Christian ethicist Stanley Hauerwas of Duke Divinity School.
The Franciscan University of Steubenville was particularly well represented among the signatories.
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Open letter to Msgr. Paglia and Msgr. Sequeri
Open letter to His Excellency, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and the Family, and to Msgr. Pierangelo Sequeri, President of the Institute.
20 August 2019
Your Excellency, Msgr. Paglia,
Rev. Msgr. Sequeri,
We, the undersigned, professors and researchers from various academic institutions throughout the world, have learned with great concern that Professors Livio Melina and José Noriega have been deprived of their tenured positions.
We do not see any convincing reason, whether of a scientific-academic nature or of a doctrinal or disciplinary nature, that would justify their removal from their positions.
So that your Institute may maintain its high academic profile and its international prestige, we implore you to revoke this decision and to reinstate the aforementioned scholars into a tenured teaching position at your Institute.
With kindest regards,
List of Signatories (Alphabetical Order)
- Paul Adams. Professor Emeritus — Social Work (University of Hawai'i)
- Jane Adolphe. Professor of Law (Ave Maria School of Law)
- Marta Albert Marquez, PhD. Professor — Philosophy of Law (Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid)
- Jacob Alexander. Adjunct Professor of Philosophy (University of St. Thomas, Houston)
- Salvador Antuñano Alea, PhD. Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy(Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid)
- Richard S. Arndt, PhD. Adjunct Professor of Political Science (Marquette University)
- Donald P. Asci. Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Romeo Astorri. Professor of Canon Law (Università Cattolica Milano)
- Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, OP. Professor of Biology and of Theology (Providence College)
- Michel Bastit. Professor of Philosophy (Université de Bourgogne et Archives Poincaré — CNRS)
- Andrew Beards. Professor of Philosophy (School of the Annunciation, Buckfast Abbey, Devon, England)
- John Sietze Bergsma. Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- P. Bracy Bersnak. Associate Professor of Political Science (Christendom College)
- Philip E. Blosser. Professor of Philosophy (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
- Mark Healy Bonner. Professor of Criminal Law and Constitutional Criminal Procedure(Ave Maria School of Law, Naples, Florida, USA)
- Paweł Bortkiewicz. Professor of Moral Theology (Adam Mickiewicz University)
- Gregory Bottaro. Associate Professor of Psychology (Institute for the Psychological Sciences/Divine Mercy University)
- Carole M. Brown. Professor of Theology (Catholic Distance University)
- Janusz Bujak. Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Ecumenism (Uniwersytet Szczeciński)
- Juan Manuel Burgos. Professor of Philosophy (University San Pablo CEU, Madrid)
- Martin Cajthaml. Associate Professor of Philosophy (Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic)
- Franco Caron. Associate Professor (Politecnico di Milano)
- Francisco Carpintero Benítez. Emeritus Professor of Philosophy of Law (Universidad de Cádiz, Spain)
- Gloria Casanova Mayordomo. Professor — Philosophical Anthropology (Universidad Católica de Valencia, Spain)
- Rodolfo José Castro Salinas. Professor — Humanities (Universidad Católica San Pablo, Perú)
- Aquilino Cayuela Cayuela. Professor — Moral and Political Philosophy and Moral Theology (Institut für Philosophie — Priesterseminar RM des Erzbistums Berlin — affiliiert PUG)
- Teresa Cid. Professor — Humanities (Universidad CEU San Pablo, Madrid)
- Peter J. Colosi, PhD. Associate Professor of Philosophy (Salve Regina University, Newport RI, USA)
- Francisco José Contreras. Professor of Philosophy of Law (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain)
- Óscar Corominas. Professor of Ecclesiastical and Civil Law (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid)
- Francisco José Cortes Blasco. Professor — Theology of Marriage and Family (Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Spain)
- David P. Deavel. Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies (University of St. Thomas)
- Tomasz Dekert. Professor of Religious Studies (Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow)
- Rafael Del Río Villegas. Professor — Health Sciences (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid)
- Patrick J. Deneen. Professor and David A. Potenziani Memorial College Chair — Political Science (University of Notre Dame)
- Raphaël Dila Ciendela, STD. Professor of Ethics (Université de Mbujimayi, Congo Republic)
- Alexandra Diriart. Professor — Family Spirituality (Pontificio Istituto Teologico Giovanni Paolo II, Rome)
- Eduardo Echeverria, PhD. Professor of Philosophy &Theology (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
- Rene Ecochard, MD, PhD. Professor of Epidemiology (Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France)
- Jean Baptiste Edart. Associate Professor of Dogmatic Theology (Université Catholique de l'Ouest — Angers)
- Dr. Laura M. Eidt. Assistant Professor — Modern Languages and Humanities (University of Dallas)
- Kent Emery, Jr.. Professor of History of Philosophy and Theology (University of Notre Dame, USA)
- Dr. Chad Engelland. Professor of Philosophy (University of Dallas)
- Ignacio Esteban Monasterio. Associate Professor of Procedural Law (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
- Jesús Ignacio Falgueras. Professor of Philosophy [emeritus] (Universidad de Málaga, Spain)
- Robert L. Fastiggi. Professor of Systematic Theology (Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI USA)
- Maria Fedoryka. Associate Professor of Philosophy (Ave Maria University)
- Fernando Fernández Rodríguez. Founder and President — Association for the Study of the Social Doctrine of the Church (AEDOS — Asociación para el Estudio de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia)
- Dr. Richard Delahide Ferrier. Tutor — Liberal Education (Thomas Aquinas College)
- Jan Frei. Professor of Philosophy (Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences)
- Ana Isabel Gallardo Martín. Professor — Bioethics (Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Spain)
- Carmen Gallardo Pérez. Professor — Science (Francisco de Vitoria University, Madrid)
- Pavel Galuzska. Assistant Professor of Family Studies (The Pontifical University of John Paul II, Krakow)
- Francisco Galvache Valero. Professor — Philosophy and Education (Universidad Juan Carlos I, Madrid)
- Felipe García Díaz-Guerra. Adjunct Professor of Moral Fundamental Theology(Instituto Superior de Estudios Teológicos San Ildefonso, Toledo, Spain)
- Véronique Gay-Crosier Lemaire. Professor of Moral Theology (Université di Fribourg, Suisse)
- Marie I. George. Professor of Philosophy (St. John's University, NY)
- Robert P. George. McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence (Princeton University)
- Anna Geppert. Professor — Human Sciences (Sorbonne)
- Dr. Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz. Professor — Philosophy of Religion (TU Dresden — Hochschule Benedikt XVI. Heiligenkreuz)
- Manfred Gerwing. Univ.-Prof., Dr. phil. et theol. habil., Dogmatik und Dogmengeschichte (Theologische Fakultät der Katholischen Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany)
- Rafael Giraldo. Professor of Biotechnology (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain)
- Luke Gormally. Professor Emeritus of Bioethics — Director Emeritus (Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford.)
- Jose Granados. Professor of Dogmatic Theology (Pontifical Theological John Paul II Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and the Family, Rome)
- Anna Władysława Grzegorczyk. Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Studies (Institute of Cultural Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland)
- Rev. Benedict M. Guevin, O.S.B., Ph.D, S.T.D.. Professor of Moral Theology (Saint Anselm College)
- Scott W. Hahn. Fr. Michael Scanlan Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- James A Harold. Professor of Philosophy (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Theodore K. A. Harwood. Assistant Professor of Classics (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Stanley Martin Hauerwas. Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Theological Ethics(Duke Divinity School)
- Mary Healy. Professor of Biblical Theology (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
- Michael J. Healy. Professor of Philosophy (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Daniel Heider. Associate Professor of Philosophy (Faculty of Theology, University of South Bohemia)
- Anne Hendershott. Professor of Sociology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Douglas Henry. Associate Professor of Philosophy (Baylor University)
- Susana Herrera Damas. Professor of Communication (Carlos III University of Madrid)
- Stephen M. Hildebrand. Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Rodney Howsare. Professor of Theology (DeSales University)
- Agnieszka Kalinowska. Professor of Patrology [Maître de conférences — HDR](Université de Lorraine)
- Stephan Kampowski. Professor of Philosophical Anthropology (Pontificio Istituto Teologico Giovanni Paolo II, Roma)
- Dybeł Katarzyna. Professor of Philology (Faculty of Philology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow)
- Daniel A. Keating. Professor of Theology (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
- Daniel R. Kempton. Professor of Political Science. Vice President for Academic Affairs(Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Daniel-Maria Klimek, T.O.R., Ph.D.. Assistant Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Joseph W. Koterski, S.J.. Associate Professor of Philosophy (Fordham University)
- Tomasz Kraj. Associate Professor — Bioethics, Moral Theology (Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow)
- Richard Kucharčík. Professor — Social Work, Marriage and Family (Katolícka univerzita v Ružomberku, Slovakia)
- Jaroslaw Kupczak OP. Professor of Theology (Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow)
- Carlo Lancellotti. Professor of Mathematics (City University of New York)
- Michele Lanzetta. Associate Professor of Manufacturing Processes (University of Pisa, Italy)
- Cristian Langa. Professor of Theology (Romania Cluj Eparchial Theological Institute — UBB Cluj)
- Patrick Lee. John N. and Jamie D. McAleer Professor of Philosophy (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Marta López-Jurado Puig. Professor of Education (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia/UNED, Spain)
- Alejandro J. López Oliva. Business Law (Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Martir, Spain)
- Oswaldo Javier Lozano de la Garza. Former Assistant Professor — Theological Anthropology and Theology of the Body (John Paul II Institute in Monterrey, México)
- Arturas Lukasevicius. Professor of Catechetics (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania)
- Marian Szczepan Machinek. Professor of Moral Theology (University of Warmia and Mazury in Poland)
- Tomáš Machula. Professor — Philosophy and Ethics (University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic)
- Teresa Malecka. Professor of Musicology (Academy of Music in Kraków)
- Piotr Malecki. Professor of Physics (IFJ PAN)
- Christopher J. Malloy. Associate Professor of Theology (The University of Dallas)
- Franco Marabelli. Professor of Experimental Physics (University of Pavia, Italy)
- Norbert Martin. Professor emeritus of Sociology (University of Koblenz, Germany)
- Regis Martin, S.T.D.. Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- John M. McDermott, S.J.. Professor of Dogmatic Theology (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
- Bronwen McShea. Associate Research Scholar — Early Modern History and History of Christianity (Princeton University)
- Jaroslaw Merecki. Professor of Philosophy (Pontificio Istituto Giovanni Paolo II, Roma)
- Jennifer E. Miller, STD. Professor of Moral Theology (Notre Dame Seminary, Graduate School of Theology, New Orleans)
- Kevin E. Miller, Ph.D.. Assistant Professor of Moral Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Christopher V. Mirus. Professor of Philosophy (University of Dallas)
- Suzanne Mulrain. Coordinator and Adjunct Professor of Theology (School of Theological Studies — St Charles Borromeo Seminary)
- David Mulroney. Administration — President and Vice Chancellor [2015-2018](University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto)
- Virgil P. Nemoianu. Professor of Comparative Literature [retired] (Catholic University of America)
- Lukáš Novák. Professor of Philosophy (University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Theology)
- Daniel Novotny. Professor of Philosophy (University of South Bohemia)
- Maciej Nowak. Assistant Professor of History and Theory of Literature (The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin)
- Gerard O’Shea. Professor — Religious Education (University of Notre Dame, Australia)
- Raúl Orozco Ruano. Professor of Dogmatic Theology (Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso, Madrid)
- Thomas M. Osborne, Jr.. Professor of Philosophy (University of St. Thomas — Houston)
- Petr Osolsobe. Professor — Aesthetics and Philosophy (Masaryk University, Czech Republic)
- Michael Pakaluk. Professor of Ethics and Social Philosophy (The Catholic University of America)
- Petr Pavlas. Comenius studies and Early Modern Intellectual History (Institute of Philosophy, The Czech Academy of Sciences)
- C.C. Pecknold. Professor of Dogmatic Theology (The Catholic University of America)
- Juan José Pérez-Soba Diez del Corral. Professor of Pastoral Theology (Pontificio Istituto Teologico Giovanni Paolo II, Roma)
- Robert Plich OP. Professor of Moral Theology (Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow)
- Diego Poole. Professor of Philosophy of Law (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid)
- Ctirad Václav Pospíšil, Th.D.. Professor of Dogmatic Theology (Teologiká fakulta JU v Českých Budějovicích, KTF UK v Praze, HTF Uk v Praze)
- Charles Presberg. Associate Professor of Spanish Renaissance Literature (University of Missouri)
- Patrick Quirk. Associate Professor of Law (Australian Catholic University)
- Matthew Ramage. Associate Professor of Theology (Benedictine College)
- Lucrecia Rego de Planas. Interdisciplinary Research (Anahuac University, Mexico City)
- José Luis Requejo Aleman. Professor of Communication (Carlos III University of Madrid)
- Benedetto Rocchi. Professor of Economics (Department of Economics and Management — Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy)
- Carla Rossi Espagnet. Professor of Dogmatic Theology (Pontificia Università della santa Croce, Rome)
- Christopher Ruddy. Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology (The Catholic University of America)
- Ignacio Sánchez Cámara. Professor of Philosophy (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid)
- Carmen Sánchez Maíllo. Adjunct Professor — Philosophy of Law (Universidad CEU San Pablo, Madrid)
- Jorge Sánchez-Tarazaga y Marcelino. Professor of International Private Law(Universidad Europea de Valencia)
- Deborah Savage. Professor — Philosophy and Theology (St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity)
- D. Brian Scarnecchia. Professor of Law (Ave Maria School of Law)
- Michele M. Schumacher. Professor — moral and dogmatic theology (University of Fribourg)
- Susan C. Selner-Wright. Associate Professor of Philosophy (St. John Vianney Theological Seminary)
- Juan Luis Sevilla Bujalance. Professor — Civil Law (Universidad de Cordoba, Spain)
- Dr. Mark Shiffman. Associate Professor of Humanities (Villanova University)
- Jeremy Sienkiewicz. Associate Professor of Theology (Benedictine College)
- Vojtech Simek. Professor — Philosophy and Theology (Teologicka fakulta Jihoceske univerzity)
- Fernando Simón Rueda. Adjunct Professor — Moral Theology (Facultad de Teología Universidad San Dámaso, Madrid)
- Michael G. Sirilla, PhD. Professor of Systematic Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Janet E Smith. Professor of Moral theology [retired] (Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit)
- Carmen María Solís Martí. Professor — Family therapy (Universidad Católica de Valencia, Spain)
- Manfred Spieker. Prof. für Christliche Sozialwissenschaften (Universität Osnabrück)
- Josef Spindelböck. Professor of Moral Theology (Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule St. Pölten)
- Teresa Stanton Collett. Professor of Law (University of St. Thomas — MN, USA)
- Isaila Ana Stefania. Professor of Psychology (UBB Cluj)
- William Bennett Stevenson. Associate Professor of Dogmatic Theology (St. Paul Seminary, University of St. Thomas)
- M. Brigid Strader. Tutor — Medieval & Renaissance Classics (Rome Institute of Liberal Arts)
- Alberto Strumia. Professor [retired] — Mathematical Physics — Logic — Philosophy of science — Philosophy of nature — Fundamental theology (State University of Bari and Theological Faculty of Emilia-Romagna, Bologna)
- Christopher Tollefsen. Professor of Moral Philosophy (University of South Carolina)
- Christian Trottmann. Directeur de recherche. Histoire de la Philosophie et de la théologie médiévale et renaissante (CNRS)
- Matthew A. Tsakanikas. Professor of Theology (Christendom College)
- Piotr Tylus. Professor — Humanities (Jagiellonian University in Cracow)
- Erika Valdivieso López. Professor of Law (Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Chiclayo, Perú)
- Jan Vančura. Professor — Social Psychology (Caritas, College of Social Work Olomouc, Czech Republic)
- Julián Vara Martín. Professor — Philosophy of Politics and Law (Universidad San Pablo CEU, Madrid)
- Giorgio Vassena. Professor — Engineering (Università di Brescia)
- Salvador Villa Herrero. Adjunct Professor of Sacred Scripture (Facultad de Teología San Vicente Ferrer, Valencia, Spain)
- Andre Villeneuve, S.S.L., Ph.D.. Assistant Professor (Azusa Pacific University)
- Owen Vyner. Professor of Theology (Christendom College)
- Mats Wahlberg. Associate Professor of Systematic Theology (Umeå University, Sweden)
- Michael Waldstein. Professor of Theology (Franciscan University)
- Susan Waldstein. Adjunct Professor of Theology (Franciscan University)
- Matthew Walz. Associate Professor of Philosophy (University of Dallas)
- Bernadette Waterman Ward. Associate Professor of English (University of Dallas)
- Helen Watt. Research Fellow (Anscombe Bioethics Centre)
- Petroc Willey. Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Peter S. Williamson. Professor of Sacred Scripture (Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit)
- Jacob W. Wood. Associate Professor of Theology (Franciscan University of Steubenville)
- Terrence C. Wright. Associate Professor of Philosophy (St. John Vianney Theological Seminary)
- Katherine del Cisne Zambrano Yaguana. Professor — Education (Universidad de Navarra, Spain)
- Kevin Zilverberg. Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture (Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, University of St. Thomas — MN, USA)
- Luigi Zucaro. Adjunct Professor of Bioethics (Pontificio Istituto Giovanni Paolo II. Istituto di Teologia Pastorale, Università Lateranense, Roma)