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We at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (JST-SCU) are thrilled to announce the appointment of Rafael Luciani to our faculty as a Full Professor with tenure. A globally renowned lay theologian from Venezuela, Luciani's profound insights into ecclesiology and his involvement in the Synod on Synodality resonate deeply with the priorities laid out in JST-SCU's strategic plan, "En Camino." Professor Luciani's commitment to the Second Vatican Council's vision of the People of God and his dedication to fostering a more synodal Church will enrich our academic community and help empower our students to become all God imagines for them as theologians, ministers, and leaders.

In a time when the Catholic Church is reimagining its mission for the 21st century, Rafael Luciani emerges as a compelling global voice on ecclesiology and a leader on synodality. A distinguished Venezuelan lay theologian, Luciani is at the heart of the global conversation on the reforms of the Church and the advancement on the ecclesiology of the People of God of the Second Vatican Council.

Luciani’s academic trajectory reflects a lifelong commitment to theological excellence and ecclesial renewal. After studying in Latin America, he earned his Licentiate and Doctorate in Theology from the Jesuit`s Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and pursued postdoctoral research at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg in Germany. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, especially in the field of ecclesiology, he was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa in Theology by the Aquinas Institute of Theology, a leading Dominican theological institution in the United States.

He is Professor Ordinarius at the Ecclesiastical Faculty of the Jesuit’s Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela, and recently has been appointed as Full Professor with tenure at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. Luciani teaches Ecclesiology, Latin American Theology, and the Second Vatican Council, also supporting with his teaching institutions in Latin America, North America and Europe. influencing a new generation of theologians, pastors, and lay leaders. His body of work includes over 100 academic and pastoral publications in multiple languages, including several authored and edited books, and academic and pastoral articles, in various languages, including Spanish, Italian, English, German. Most recently in Portuguese and Chinese. He is positioned as a leading theologian in contemporary ecclesiology and pastoral theology with a global knowledge and experience of the Catholic Church, having lived and worked in several continents, speaking and writing fluently in several languages.

But Luciani’s impact goes far beyond the classroom. He is a theological expert (Peritus) for the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), where he also serves as Senior Director of its world-renowned Center for Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Formation, founded 50 years ago, now responsible to design the formation on synodality and pastoral theology for Latin America, North America, and Europe. His theological and pastoral expertise was recognized by the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network where he served as Peritus during the Extraordinary Synod for the Pan-Amazonian Region. In addition, he advises the Presidency of the Latin American Confederation of Religious (CLAR) and co-coordinates the Peter and Paul Intercontinental Academic Group, a select group of global renowned theologians and canonists advancing theological reflection across continents.

Luciani played a central role in the Synod on Synodality, since its beginning in 2021, appointed as a member of the theological team of the General Secretariat of the Synod, and then during the two sessions of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops as Peritus, where his contributions helped to articulate the theological foundations of the documents. Actually, he continues to contribute and be committed to the third phase of the Synod, especially through a major formation project involving 30 world renowned theologians, canonists and pastoralists that are producing theological pastoral books and materials to accompany the implementation of the Final Document of the Synod with the support of the Latin American Bishops Council (CELAM). He worked on the design of this international project closely with Pope Francis who supported it completely, expressing that support in the Preface of the book series. These projects have been the fruit of several years dedicated to the research and formation of synodality in 5 Continents, reaching out to thousands of people and communities. The project continues to have a significant global impact.

In articles, interviews, and books Professor Luciani consistently advocates for a Church where the laity are not just objects in the Church, but protagonists in decision making processes, ministries, and governance. His vision is rooted in the ecclesiology of Vatican II, actualized by the demands of the present and a preferential option for the poor and marginalized. In this regard, as part of his commitment, he accompanies small ecclesial base communities in Latin America.

Whether speaking to bishops, forming young theologians, or advising the Vatican, Rafael Luciani bridges the academic and the pastoral, the global and the local, in a unique way. His theological work is not abstract. It is a call to action. And his understanding and living experience of leadership is not about status nor prestige, but about vocation and service to society and to a Church in transition towards a synodal missionary model.

To become familiar with some of Professor Luciani’s work you can read his recent article “Between conciliar memory and a synodal future” here: https://wherepeteris.com/between-conciliar-memory-and-synodal-future/