On October 19, 2026, the official Vatican media announced the appointment by Pope Leo XIV of new members to the International Theological Commission for the five-year term 2026-2031 and confirmed the mandate of six others, bringing the body to a total of 30 theologians. Among those appointed is the priest Julián Arturo López Amozurrutia, theological canon of the metropolitan Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Mexico. His incorporation replaces Father Mario Ángel Flores Ramos, who had been part of the Commission for three consecutive five-year terms since 2009.
The new composition maintains geographical diversity, with thirteen members from Europe, five from South America, four from Asia, four from Africa, three from North America, and one from Australia, and increases the presence of women theologians from five to eight (five of them lay), as well as that of lay theologians, which doubles to reach eight. The first plenary session of the renewed Commission is scheduled for November 23 to 27. Sources from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith indicated that the work will be organized into two subcommissions, one of them dedicated to the study of the Church’s Tradition and the cultural transmission of the faith.
López Amozurrutia becomes the third Mexican in this select group that brings together the world’s leading theological thinkers and practitioners. He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Mexico and theological canon of the metropolitan Cathedral Chapter. He holds a doctorate in Theology and a licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; he also holds licentiates in Theology and Philosophy from the Instituto Superior de Estudios Eclesiásticos in Mexico. He served as director general of that Institute from 2003 to 2007 and as rector of the Conciliar Seminary of Mexico from 2007 to 2014. He is a faculty member of the Pontifical University of Mexico and the Universidad Católica Lumen Gentium, and founding president of the Mexican Academy of Theology. In July 2025, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes appointed him interim vice-rector of the Pontifical University of Mexico; later, with the nihil obstat of the Holy See, he was named dean of its Faculty of Theology.
The International Theological Commission was established by Paul VI on April 11, 1969, at the proposal of the first ordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops, and was linked to the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Its function is to assist the Holy See, and especially the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in examining doctrinal questions of greater importance and relevance. It is composed of theologians from various schools and nations, eminent for their scholarship and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium. Its members, no more than thirty in number, are appointed by the Pope for a five-year term, on the proposal of the prefect of the Dicastery and after consultation with the Episcopal Conferences. The Commission meets in plenary assembly at least once a year and may also work through subcommissions.
The results of its studies are presented to the Holy Father and delivered to the Dicastery for use. The definitive statutes were promulgated by John Paul II through the Motu Proprio Tredecim anni iam of August 6, 1982. Throughout its history, it has published, with the approval of its president, thirty-three documents. The current president is Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and the secretary general is Monsignor Piero Coda, whose mandate was confirmed.
Mexican presence in the Commission has been continuous, though limited. According to official lists, Father Rafael Salazar Cárdenas, Missionary of the Holy Spirit, was part of the sixth five-year term (appointments of 1997). Father Mario Ángel Flores Ramos, a priest of the Archdiocese of Mexico and doctor in theology and patristic sciences, participated in the eighth five-year term (2009-2014, appointed by Benedict XVI), in the ninth (2014-2019, ratified by Francis), and in the tenth (2021-2026, again ratified). Flores Ramos was rector of the Pontifical University of Mexico for three three-year terms and has held other positions of responsibility, including the direction of the National Observatory of the Mexican Episcopal Conference.
With the appointment of López Amozurrutia for the eleventh five-year term (2026-2031), Mexican representation is maintained. The transition underscores the continuity of Mexican theology in the service of doctrinal advice to the Holy See, at a time when the Commission is expanding its geographical and gender composition and preparing to deepen topics such as Tradition and the transmission of the faith in diverse cultural contexts.
From this blog we wish Dr. López Amozurrutia a fruitful ministry in theological thought for the salvation of souls. Congratulations!