In his Memo dated 4 June 2023, Fr. President Enrico C. Eusebio SJ informed the LST Community about his mission to Europe from June 8 to 30, 2023 to attend a Jesuit Spirituality Seminar in Rome and then to meet with Deans of Faculties of Theology in Italy, Spain, and Austria. He was accompanied by LST Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fr. Rogel Anecito L. Abais SJ.
With the purpose of establishing collaborative links with LST’s European counterparts, and specifically to invite their students to study theology in Asia through LST’s “Manila Program”, Fr. Eusebio had set appointments with the Deans of the Faculties of Theology of the following institutions:
- Faculty of Theology of Northern Italy, Milan
- Pontifical Comillas University, Madrid
- Ecclesiastical University of San Damaso, Madrid
- Pontifical University of Salamanca
- University of Innsbruck
- University of Vienna
Faculty of Theology of Northern Italy, Milan
At 12:00 noon on 16 June 2023, the LST delegation, composed of Fr. President and Dean Enrico C. Eusebio SJ, Fr. VPAA Rogel Anecito L. Abais SJ, Fr. Jose V.C. Quilongquilong SJ, and Loyola House of Studies Rector Fr. Xavier Olin SJ, was warmly received by the President of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy (FTIS), Prof. Don Massimo Epis, at its Main Campus in Milan. Fr. Eusebio presented some gifts to him from LST including Landas (LST’s Faculty Journal), Tinig Loyola (Student Magazine), LST brochures, and our special Cebu Dried Mango Slices dipped in Milk Chocolate.
The FTIS President toured the group in the magnificent building of the faculty of theology which is housed in a former medieval Benedictine Monastery attached to the ancient Basilica of San Simpliciano, one of the early Christian churches in Milan, built in the 4th century AD.
At the informal meeting that followed, both parties exchanged information about LST and FTIS. The meeting was concluded by an invitation extended by Fr. Eusebio to Prof. Don Massimo Epis to visit LST not just for academic purposes but also to see and enjoy the beauty of the Philippines.
Together with two other FTIS faculty members, Prof. Msgr. Sergio Ubbiali (Fundamental Theology) and Prof. Don Fabio Besostri (Church History), Prof. Don Massimo Epis hosted the LST Delegation at a sumptuous Milanese lunch in a nearby restaurant.
FTIS has campuses and affiliates in Turin, Genoa, Venegono, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Crema-Cremona-Lodi, Vigevano, Fossano, Novara, and Mantova, all in Italy.
This visit of LST Officials to Europe is made possible through the generosity of the LH Foundation.
back to topPontifical University of Salamanca, Spain
On 20 June 2023 at 11:15am, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (UPSA), Dr. Francisco Garcia Martinez, accompanied by the Vice Dean, Dr. Román Á. Pardo Manrique, welcomed Fr. Enrico C. Eusebio SJ and Fr. Rogel Anecito L. Abais SJ at the Theology Faculty office of the University.
The lively exchange of information between the two institutions was highlighted by the expression of a mutual desire to collaborate in principle, with further details still to be discussed.
Prof. Garcia, a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Zamora and a systematic theologian, shared with the LST delegation that their Faculty has had some experiences of collaboration with Latin American and African theological institutions and that it would certainly be a significant move to reach out as well to Asia, especially the Philippines, which shares a special and unique history and religious tradition with Spain.
Founded in 1940, the Pontifical University is under the direction of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Spain. Its current site is the old Colegio Real de la Compañía de Jesús (Jesuits) which was initially built in 1617. The old Colegio is one of the most beautiful and grandiose baroque architecture, constructed under the direction of King Philip III and Margarita of Austria.
Among the gifts that Frs. Eusebio and Abais gave to the gracious hosts were a box of Cebu Dried Mangoes dipped in Philippine chocolate and a box of Filipino style Polvoron. Introduced in the Philippines by the Spaniards during the colonial period, the polvorón is a type of heavy, soft, and very crumbly Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, and milk.
back to topEcclesiastical University of San Damaso, Madrid, Spain
No less than the Rector of the Universidad Eclesiastica San Damaso in Madrid (UESD), Dr. Javier María Prades López, welcomed LST President Fr. Enrico C. Eusebio SJ and LST VPAA Fr. Rogel Anecito L. Abais SJ for the meeting with the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Dr. Gabriel Richi Alberti, scheduled at 1:30 pm on 21 June 2023, the Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Together with the Rector and the Dean was the Vice Dean of Theology, Dr. Juan de Dios Larrú Ramos. The Spanish officials are diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Madrid. Fr. Rector and Fr. Dean are systematic theologians, while Fr. Vice Dean is a moral theologian.
Fr. Rector led the LST Delegation to his office where Frs. Eusebio and Abais signed the official guest book of the University. Fr. Rector himself requested for a souvenir photo with the guests who, of course, gladly acceded to the request.
After some minutes of greetings and exchange, Fr. Rector invited the group for lunch at the University comedor to continue the conversations in a more relaxed manner over a sumptuous comida española. During the conversations, the Spanish officials were happy to know that the LST library has a subscription of their reknowned journal, Estudios Biblicos.
They expressed interest in exchanging articles for publication in our respective journals. The LST officials welcomed the prospect of publishing theological articles also in Spanish in Landas. Though there might be challenges regarding the possibility of exchange professors and students between the two faculties of theology, it was mutually agreed to continue exploring possibilities for it.
The LST officials were pleased to know that their Spanish counterparts are quite familiar with some aspects of Philippine history including the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan and the gift of the Santo Nino to the local chieftain, and the expedition of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565 which paved the way for the systematic evangelization of the Philippines.
Frs. Eusebio and Abais invited the Rector, the Dean, and Vice Dean to visit LST and the Philippines at a suitable time, especially since they have not visited Asia yet.
It was an opportune time for LST to offer our thanksgiving gift of Cebu dried mangoes and to surprise them with our Filipino style polvoron. Fr Rector decided to have our gift of Cebu dried mangoes served as part of our postre, which they enjoyed over a cup of coffee. The polvoron was reserved for tasting by the San Damaso officials at a later time.
The Universidad Eclesiastica San Damaso is owned and managed by the Archdiocese of Madrid.
back to topPontifical Comillas University, Madrid, Spain
The meeting between LST officials, Fr. Enrico C. Eusebio SJ and Fr. Rogel Anecito L. Abais SJ, with the Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (UPC) and biblical theologian, Dr. Francisco Ramirez Fueyo SJ, was characterized by fraternal familiarity, being fellow Jesuits, Sons of St. Ignatius. The meeting was propitiously held on the Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga SJ on 21 June 2023 at 5:00 pm at the main campus of the University in Alberto Aguilera, 23 in downtown Madrid.
During the meeting, Fr. Eusebio expressed the reasons for the visit. He jokingly said that, at the least, he would like his Spanish counterpart to know that LST exists. Then he spoke about the importance of LST’s collaboration with Spanish and other European theological centers to enhance further LST’s international partnerships apart from its current involvement with other English-speaking Jesuit theological faculties in Asia, Africa, and North America, and with the theological faculties of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP).
Both parties discussed the following possible areas of cooperation, the details of which still need to be further ironed out: short-term visits of professors as speakers for talks or seminars; cross-enrollment of Spanish students in the joint “Manila Program” of LST and the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI); and the exchange of information and materials regarding topics of mutual interest. In particular, Fr. Ramirez was keenly interested in LST’s integral ecology and migration theology programs.
As with other encounters with theological faculties in Italy and Spain, the meeting was capped by the presentation of LST’s gifts to Fr. Ramirez, such as copies of LST’s Academic Journal Landas, LST’s Magazine Tinig Loyola, Cebu dried mangoes dipped in Philippine chocolate, and our Filipino style polvoron. Fr. Ramirez promised to share the dried mangoes and polvoron with the Jesuit Community in Comillas.
The Universidad Pontificia Comillas is the Jesuit University of Madrid. The university is involved in a number of academic exchange programmes, work practice schemes, and international projects with over 200 institutions of higher education in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia.
back to topUniversity of Innsbruck, Austria
On Sunday, 25 June 2023, Frs. President and VPAA traveled by air from Madrid to Vienna and then by train to Innsbruck for a scheduled meeting on Monday, 26 June 2023, at 2:00 pm with the Dean of the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Innsbruck, Dr. Wilhelm Guggenberger. The Dean is a young layman with a specialization in Systematic Theology.
The meeting was an opportunity for the LST delegation to be more familiar with the system of higher education in Austria and, in particular, in the University of Innsbruck. The Faculty has a big number of enrollees at 400 with a rather robust group of around 50 doctoral students from various parts of the world, including Asia.
One interesting feature of the Faculty is the availability of a full doctoral program in theology in English due to the growing number of international students from Asia and Africa. Facility in the German language, however, is still required as the standard language for conversations and transactions in the University and in the city. Besides, high-quality theological resources have been published in German through the years.
Seeing the importance of exposure to various cultural contexts while studying theology, Dr. Guggenberger expressed interest in the prospect of Austrian theology students coming over to LST and the Philippines on a voluntary basis for studies and exposure in the Asian context. Frs. Eusebio and Abais thereby presented to the Dean the “Manila Program”, a joint venture of LST and the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) to provide international students, especially European and North American theology students to enroll in LST courses and EAPI pastoral modules for a semester and to live in a multi-cultural community in EAPI.
The Dean appreciated the gifts from LST consisting of Landas, our Academic Journal, Tinig Loyola Magazine, and special Cebu dried mango strips dipped in Philippine chocolate.
Frs. Eusebio and Abais invited Dr. Guggenberger to visit LST and the Philippines. He has already visited the Jesuit Faculty in Pune, India, the Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology with which the Faculty in Innsbruck has an institutional relationship. A reciprocal visit to LST by the Dean will hopefully formalize a similar collaborative link with LST.
The University of Innsbruck (German: Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck) is a public research university in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, founded on October 15, 1669. It is the third largest in Austria behind the University of Vienna and the University of Graz. In 1562, a Jesuit grammar school was established in Innsbruck by St. Peter Canisius which eventually was re-chartered as a university on October 15, 1669 by Leopold I. In 1782, it was reduced to a mere lyceum (as were all other universities in the Austrian Empire, apart from Prague, Vienna, and Lviv), but it was reestablished as the University of Innsbruck in 1826 by Emperor Franz I. The Faculty is composed mostly of laymen and women, with five Jesuits teaching full-time and others teaching part-time.
The Jesuits of Innsbruck run and operate the “Collegium Canisianum”, a residence for about 40 priests from all over the world working on doctorates under the direction of the Catholic Theology Faculty at the University of Innsbruck. In addition to their studies, the students find a home in the Canisianum for nurturing and developing their personal and spiritual lives.
Among the Jesuits buried in the Jesuit Church (Jesuitenkirche) attached physically to the University are Karl Rahner and Josef Andreas Jungmann, both former distinguished professors of the Faculty of Theology.
back to topUniversity of Vienna, Austria
Frs. President and VPAA capped their European Mission on 28 June 2023 with a visit to the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Vienna. They were awed as they entered the majestic edifice of the University, located in the heart of the Austrian capital. Universität Wien is the biggest university in Austria and is recognized as one of the top-ranking in the world.
A warm welcome was extended by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Agnethe Siquans, an Old Testament Biblical Theologian, and Dr. Gunter Prüller-Jagenteufel, the Director of the Doctoral Studies Program and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics. At the time, the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Andrea Lehner-Hartmann, was unavailable due to a change of schedule on the part of the LST authorities but she has earlier expressed her welcome and hospitality to the LST delegation by email.
Dr. Siquans presented the diversity of the ca. 700 students in the Faculty, around 100 of whom are doctoral students. Around 30% of the student population are Austrians, 30% Germans, and 30-40% come from various countries around the world. The programs in the Faculty are offered in German, with occasional courses and seminars offered in English.
Dr. Prüller-Jagenteufel highlighted the interdisciplinary approach in the various programs of the University with much attention given to the impact of theology and religion in society, and the impact of society on religion as well. The Faculty sees itself as a place of academic research and study in dialogue with other sciences, with members of the public society and the Church.
On their part, Frs. Eusebio and Abais presented the profile of LST to their Viennese counterparts and proposed the possibility of their students coming to the Philippines for a short-term Asian academic-cultural experience through the “Manila Program” offered jointly by LST and the East Asian Pastoral Institute. In fact, Dr. Prüller-Jagenteufel has already visited the Philippines, including Mindanao, around 17 times since the 1990’s and has accompanied Austrian students for cultural immersion in cooperation with other Philippine institutions. He thus knows about balut and joked about gaining weight each visit due to Filipino hospitality. Indeed he has some personal knowledge about aspects of the socio-cultural landscape of the Philippines. The LST officials, therefore, expressed their desire that his next visit would be to the Loyola School of Theology.
The Viennese officials were sincerely eager to explore various forms of cooperation between the two Faculties. They will discuss a draft Memorandum of Understanding with the University Vice Rector for possible approval.
Frs. President and VPAA presented to their hosts some gifts from LST consisting of Landas, our Academic Journal, Tinig Loyola Magazine, and special Cebu dried mango strips dipped in Philippine chocolate. They also shared a number of LST brochures to introduce LST to their students and faculty.
The University of Vienna is a public research university founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365. It is the oldest university in the modern German-speaking world and among the largest institutions of higher learning in Europe. The University is associated with 16 Nobel prize winners in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economics, and Literature, and has been the home to many scholars of historical and academic importance. The University’s academic facilities occupy more than sixty locations throughout the city of Vienna. The historical main building on the Ringstraße constitutes the University’s center.
As with the theology degrees of the University of Innsbruck which is a state university as well, the Holy See recognizes its Masters and Doctoral Programs in Theology as ecclesiastical degrees by virtue of a concordat.
back to top
