KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

 

varelaAsst. Prof. Dr. sc. Miguel López Varela

Theological Institute and Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Compostela,

Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain

Asst. Prof. Dr. sc. Miguel López Varela has been a priest of the Diocese of Santiago de Compostela since 2005. He finished his graduate studies in Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca and in Catechesis and Youth Pastoral Care at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome. He completed his doctoral studies in Catechetics with a specialization in Adult Pedagogy at the same University (Towards Transformative Adult Catechesis. A Proposal for Some Epistemological and Methodological Elements Based on Jack Mezirow’s Theory of Transformative Learning). He is currently the director of the Catechetical Diocesan Office, a professor at the Theological Institute of Compostela and the director of the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Compostela, where he teaches Theology of Evangelization, Practical Theology, Youth Pastoral, Catechetics and Catechetical Activity, Didactics of Religion and Scientific Methodology. He is a professor of Basic Pastoral Theology at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Salamanca. He is a member of the Spanish Association for Catechesis (AECA), the European Catechetical Team and the Advisory Council of the Episcopal Commission for Evangelization, Catechesis and Catechumenate. He was a catechetical expert in the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization from 2015 to 2017, participating in the development of the new Directory of Catechetics from 2020.

Title of the plenary presentation:

 The Directory for Catechesis:

historical course, key themes and interpretation

llanosProf. Dr. sc. Mario Óscar Llanos, SDB

Faculty of Education,

Salesian Pontifical University, Rome, Italy

Prof. Dr. sc. Mario Oscar Llanos, Salesian, holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and educational sciences from the Department of Youth Pastoral Care, a bachelor’s degree in Youth Pastoral Care and Catechetics with a specialization in Pedagogy of Religion, a PhD in Pastoral Theology. He is a Counselor Formator (CNCP). He is a full professor at the Department of Pedagogy and Vocational Pastoral Care; teaches Pastoral and Pedagogy of Vocations, Theory and Technique of Counseling, Counseling of Personal Vocation and Group, Ethics and Professional Deontology, and leads professional practice, exercises and seminars on professional animation and vocation formation and relationships counselling. He is the director of the Office for the Evaluation, Research and Promotion of Quality at the Salesian Pontifical University. At the Faculty of Education, he is the coordinator of the Commission of University Centers related to the Faculty, the coordinator of the Organizing Council for Doctoral Studies and the Dean of the same Faculty from 2015 to 2021. In the academic and pastoral field, he participates in and organizes numerous conferences, congresses, and courses. He is the director of the Higher Formation Course in Pastoral Care. He is the president of the Cerchi d’Onda Association (for the promotion of youth and families, since 2003) and the president of the Italian Association of Educators and Pedagogues (since 2019). He served for nine years as an expert in the Pontifical Work for Ecclesiastical Vocations, and is currently an advisor to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Some of his books: Servire le vocazioni nella Chiesa. Pastorale vocazionale e Pedagogia della vocazione, 2006; Iniziazione al dialogo empatico nell’accompagnamento vocazionale, 2008; La vocazione nel gruppo. Contributo del Counselling alla Pedagogia Vocazionale, 2013; La promozione delle vocazioni al ministero sacerdotale, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013; with Gambini P. and Roggia G., Formazione affettivo-sessuale. Itinerario per seminaristi e giovani consacrati e consacrate, EDB, 2017; with Romeo A., Giovani, identità, vissuti e prospettive, Studi sui Giovani, 1, 2018, Etica dell’Animatore-Formatore vocazionale, Enciclopedia delle Scienze dell’Educazione 142, LAS, 2020.

 Title of the plenary presentation:

The vocational background of catechesis

steguAsst. Prof. Dr. sc. Tadej Stegu

Faculty of Theology of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Asst. Prof. Dr. sc. Tadej Stegu completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana. After his master’s degree, he pursues a doctoral degree under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. sc. Alojzije Slavko Snoj and co-mentorship of Prof. Dr. sc. Ana Krajnc from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Ljubljana. He successfully defended his doctoral thesis entitled Application of andragogical principles in adult education and catechesis in the light of the Plenary Assembly of the Church in Slovenia in 2006 and received the title of Doctor of Science. In 2007 he was appointed an assistant at the Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana, Department of Pastoral and Kerygmatic Theology, and in 2014 an assistant professor. At the faculty, he collaborates in teaching subjects in the field of pastoral theology, catechesis and didactics, and since 2014 he has also been the vice dean for studies. His scientific and research work is primarily focused on the contemporary challenges of evangelization, catechesis and pastoral care. He publishes his scientific articles in various professional and scientific journals such as Bogoslovni vestnik, Kateheza, Edinost in dialog, Diacovensia, British journal of religious education and others. A more comprehensive bibliography is available on the COBISS online bibliographic system.

 Title of the plenary presentation:

Missionary conversion of institutions

theaProf. Dr. sc. Ana Thea Filipović, DSNG

Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb, Croatia

 

Prof. Dr. sc. Ana Thea Filipović, completed her philosophical and theological studies at the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb. At the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, she obtained a bachelor’s degree, a licentiate, and a doctorate in educational sciences, specializing in youth pastoral care and catechesis. She worked as a research assistant at the Salesian Institute for Religious Pedagogy and Catechesis in Zagreb. She lectured at the Theological-Catechetical Institute of Theology in Split, Department in Dubrovnik. For the purpose of scientific research, she resided in Benediktbeuern and Munich in Germany. She taught at the Theological-Catechetical School in Zadar. Since 2007, she has been employed at the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb. She was the head of the Catechetical Institute for two terms, and since the beginning of 2017 she has been the head of the Department of Religious Pedagogy and Catechesis at the same Faculty. Academic year 2017/2018 she was a visiting professor at the Faculty of Theology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland. In 2019, she received the award for excellence in scientific research of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb. She is a member of several international societies, the editorial boards of the journal Nova prisutnost and Katehetski glasnik, and the scientific councils of the Österreichisches Religionspädagogisches Forum and Teologia praktyczna. She has published numerous scientific papers in domestic and foreign publications. The bibliography is available on the CROSBI online bibliographic system.

Title of the plenary presentation:

Catechesis facing the challenge of pluralism of cultures and contexts:

methodological perspectives