On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, Friar Rubén MARTÍNEZ HERNÁNDEZ of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico defended his doctoral thesis at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
This academic event took place at the Paul VI Auditorium. It began with a presentation of the thesis entitled: “The Incardination of Religious Priests in a Diocese in the Light of Canon 693: The Origin of the Norm and the Problem with Its Application.”
Friar Rubén explained the structure of his dissertation, which was developed over four chapters, and presented the most relevant results of his research. He mentioned that incardination, as a juridical institution, shows the Church’s concern for the good of her faithful. It gives careful attention to the integral formation of candidates, so that they may be suitable for the service they will perform and stable in the choice they have made.
In addition, the doctoral candidate spoke about the issue of transferring clerics from an Institute to a Diocese and stated that the phenomenon of incardination is complex and delicate. Incardination is a process that requires prayer, dialogue and a lot of attention and discernment on all sides, namely, by the applicant, the Institute and the bishop. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the formation program in such a way that it instills the maturity needed to respond adequately to whatever crises and difficulties arise in religious and priestly life.
Friar Rubén also mentioned opportunities for further reflection on canon 693, such as: the charism of an Institute as a guide and model in the exercise of one’s ministry; ways to strengthen the loyalty of local communities by fostering a climate of openness, dialogue and trust; the timeframe for incardination, etc.
The thesis was written under the guidance of Professor Aitor JIMÉNEZ ECHAVE, who, together with two other professors, gave his opinion on the written work. They also stressed the importance of the topic being studied and the need to improve this canon of the Code. They noted that this thesis, which is mainly cognitive, has highlighted a very interesting topic, with reflections that may be useful in future research on this yet open topic. Furthermore, the professors expressed that the dissertation was a well- structured work with an excellent methodology.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Paolo GHERRI, mentioned that the candidate was very collaborative and facilitated the writing of the thesis with a good critical analysis and the proper use of the bibliography.
Others present at this event included the Vicar General Friar Jan MACIEJOWSKI; the Guardian and Rector of the Seraphicum in Rome, Friar Adam MĄCZKA; along with other friars and friends from Rome. Some attended the event online, including the Minister Provincial of Mexico, Friar Mario CASTRO MARTÍNEZ, some relatives of Friar Rubén and a number of friends.
We congratulate our brother and wish him a happy journey back to his Province, where he already serves as a Provincial Definitor.
Friar Zvonimir PERVAN
