COCTI Announces Support for Thematic Research Groups: Incorporation of “Grupo de Santiago”

COCTI (the Conference of Catholic Theological Institutions), which is the IFCU International research group bringing together theologians around the world, pursues its commitment to fostering theological research and collaboration within the Catholic academic community.

In alignment with its mission to respond to contemporary theological challenges, COCTI is pleased to announce the initiation of a new framework to support thematic groups of professors and researchers working across affiliated faculties and schools.

This initiative emerges from COCTI’s foundational objectives:

• To address contemporary questions and challenges from a theological perspective;
• To create spaces for sharing, information exchange, and reflection on theology and religious sciences;
• To promote coordinated actions in partnership with other Church entities at both local and universal levels.

As a recognized international research group within IFCU, COCTI is uniquely positioned to support these collaborative endeavours while maintaining its commitment to academic excellence and ecclesial engagement.

Key Features of the Initiative:

• Support for existing and emerging research groups;
• Preservation of group autonomy while fostering integration with COCTI;
• Experimental period leading up to the 2026 Rio General Assembly;
• Opportunity for formal recognition and incorporation into COCTI’s updated statutes.

This initiative commences with the incorporation of the Grupo de Santiago (Santiago Group), the International Permanent Seminar on Practical Theology. Founded in 2012, this distinguished group comprises professors from Catholic Theology faculties in Europe and America, with occasional participation from Asian researchers. Through its composition and dynamics, it has established itself as a significant platform for transcultural dialogue in practical theology. The Santiago Group maintains continuous research activities and meets biennially, alternating between Europe and America. Their substantial academic contributions include two published works:

• “Cuestiones de Teología Práctica: Contextos y Conceptos. Reflexiones del Grupo de Santiago” (2019);
• “Teología práctica e interdisciplinariedad” (2022);
• A third volume, “Teología Práctica y Sinodalidad,” is forthcoming from CELAM Publishing.
   

Father Waldecir Gonzaga, COCTI President, and Prof. Fernando Soler, COCTI Secretary General, warmly invite the academic community to respond to this initiative. If you and your colleagues are engaged in theological research and wish to establish a thematic research group within COCTI’s framework, they encourage you to reach out. The COCTI Executive Committee will thoughtfully review all applications to ensure alignment with the group’s mission and to support your group’s success. They will provide detailed guidelines and requirements upon request.

Together, we can strengthen our theological research network and create meaningful spaces for academic collaboration and ecclesial dialogue