Scottish Catholic Observer

A Glasgow University graduate is among a number of women and non-Europeans appointed by Pope Francis to the International Theological Commission.

The commission is tasked with helping the Holy See and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith examine doctrinal questions of major importance.

The new appointments will serve on the ninth term of the commission, which will run from 2014-2019.

Among the 30 new members is Scottish Professor Moira McQueen (above), director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute at the University of St Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. A former lawyer, Professor McQueen teaches moral theology and has written a number of articles on bioethics.

Other female appointments include Tracey Rowland (below), dean of Melbourne’s John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, and Sr Prudence Allen, a former philosophy professor.

Pope Francis has kept the number of Europeans on the commission at 14, but increased the number of South Americans from three to five; Africans from two to three and North Americans also from two to three. Five of the 30 new appointments are woman, who now make up 16 per cent of commission members.

In a statement, the Holy See expressed its ‘special gratitude’ for the ‘competent and conscientious theological service’ provided by the commission members during the previous term which is coming to an end.

The members of the commission for 2014-2019 are as follows:

– Fr.  Serge Thomas BONINO, O.P., Secretary General, France.

– Fr. Terwase Henry AKAABIAM, Nigeria;

– Sr. Prudence ALLEN, R.S.M., United States of America;

– Sr Alenka ARKO, Loyola Community, Russian Federation – Slovenia;

– Msgr. Antonio Luiz CATELAN FERREIRA, Brazil;

– Msgr. Piero CODA, Italy;

– Fr. Lajos DOLHAI, Hungary;

– Fr. Peter DUBOVSKÝ, S.J., Slovakia;

– Fr. Mario Angel FLORES RAMOS, Mexico;

– Fr. Carlos María GALLI, Argentina;

– Fr. Krzysztof GÓŹDŹ, Poland;

– Fr. Gaby Alfred HACHEM, Lebanon;

– Fr. Thomas KOLLAMPARAMPIL, C.M.I., India;

– Fr. Koffi Messan Laurent KPOGO, Togo;

– Fr. Oswaldo MARTÍNEZ MENDOZA, Colombia;

– Professor Moira Mary McQUEEN, Canada – Great Britain;

– Fr. Karl Heinz MENKE, Germany;

– Fr. John Junyang PARK, Korea;

– Fr. Bernard POTTIER, S.J., Belgium;

– Fr. Javier PRADES LÓPEZ, Spain;

– Professor Tracey ROWLAND, Australia;

– Professor Héctor Gustavo SÁNCHEZ ROJAS, S.C.V., Perú;

– Professor Marianne SCHLOSSER, Austria – Germany;

– Fr. Nicholaus SEGEJA M’HELA, Tanzania;

– Fr. Pierangelo SEQUERI, Italy;

– Fr. Željko TANJIĆ, Croatia;

– Fr. Gerard Francisco P. TIMONER III, O.P., Philippines;

– Fr. Gabino URIBARRI BILBAO, S.I., Spain;

– Fr. Philippe VALLIN, France;

– Fr. Thomas G. WEINANDY, O.F.M.Cap., United States of America.