Science and experience

OPEN TO THE ABSOLUTE

WCM 2025

November 3 – 6, 2025

Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum
Via degli Aldobrandeschi, 190, 00163 Rome – Italy

An attempt to provide answers through interdisciplinary dialogue.

In order to think deeply, it is necessary to consider very seriously all dimensions of life and to ensure that nothing is lost.

42

Speakers

4

Topic areas

4

Languages

Tentative schedule

Topic areas

Positive and negative consequences of scientific and technological progress.

The understanding and possible modification of our world bring great advantages, but the predominance of the empirical sciences poses the risk of reducing all knowledge and decision-making processes to the demands of their method. If human beings conceive and create science and technology, how are they to exercise their primacy over them? Under what aspects do they surpass and transcend their own creations and are not their slaves, but rather standards for their findings, imposing their vision: not everything that can be done should be done?

        • Methodological difference between natural sciences and human sciences
        • Human intelligence and artificial intelligence Technooptimism: reality or myth? 
        • Technology, freedom and personal fulfillment

Enhance

Metaphysics, mysticism and epistemology in the human sciences.

The capacity to conceive an absolute reality as the model, origin and end of the cosmos and all that it contains, the receptive sensitivity to an intimate impression that affects our being and acting, and the attempt to base our cognitive act on a broader perspective are the indeclinable signs -as old as they are new- of a consciousness that proceeds in search of the fullness of truth, goodness and beauty. This vital attitude generates answers to the problems that beset us today.

              • Mystical character of the human person: consciousness and freedom
              • Educational model at the service of the family
              • Transcendence and experience in the sciences of art and culture 
              • How to deal with the ideological excess of the human sciences.

Dialogue

Person and relation: current horizons and challenges

The person lives and develops within the framework of the different levels of his or her humanity and of his or her various areas and dimensions of communicative interaction. This diversity of impressions and fields of expression impels us to find a healthy order and balance, giving the right weight to each area. Above all, the aspiration to perfect love demands of us a relational dynamic with others that embraces both the divine and the human, the infinite and the finite. 

        • Towards an integral health: physical, psychological and spiritual
        • Sacral experience of human living
        • Society, politics and ideology 
        • Globalization and ecology

Include

Fernando Rielo, 1923-2004: thinker, humanist, poet

Fernando Rielo has passed on to us a vast patrimony of conceptual, artistic and practical creativity as the fruit of his intense experience of mystical filiation since childhood: in short, a life filled with a divine presence that he welcomed and embraced with all the passion of a son in love. The strength of an unfailing love that receives exquisite gifts and wants to offer God and human beings only the best inspires and animates all his intellectual, lyrical and religious work. We explore some aspects of this inexhaustible treasure.

        • Life and testimonies
        • Poetry, metaphysics, mysticism, and anthropology.
        • Education, psychoethics, syneidotherapy and methodology

Transform

What are the constituent elements of the human being, of the person? How should the ultimate goal of our knowledge and efforts be conceived?

Many diagnose the current moment of culture and society in terms of a serious anthropological crisis in which a strong ideologizing pressure and a powerful “technological Prometheism” converge. 

Our era is not characterized by promoting the search for metaphysical foundations that define us and give us meaning, but by exploring the possibilities suggested by the symbiosis of technology with social engineering.

These accelerated impulses often almost ignore some central questions that determine our horizon: What are the constitutive elements of the human being, of the person? How is the ultimate goal of our knowledge and efforts to be conceived?

We consider, in this sense, the keys to a mutual respect and encounter through a dialogue that brings light and a solidly grounded epistemology. In this way, we will be able to understand the person more integrally and improve his or her individual and social health in the face of the high rate of reductionism, neurosis, imbalances, conflicts and the closed-mindedness of self-referentiality.

The purpose of the conference is to seriously consider the interrelation between the experimental sciences – with technological advances based on physical realities – and the sciences whose object of study is the deep, vital and existential experience of human beings.

In short, does humanity exist only in and for the world, with its expiration, or does it have a wider field of vision and action, open, even, to infinity?

Our reflection must therefore address the challenges we face today in the development of pedagogy, psychology, ethics, law, ecology, psychiatry, health sciences, political science, economics, sports and the arts, taking into account all the relational spheres of the person: with oneself, with the divine, with others and with nature.



Committees

H.E.R. Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

H.E.R. Card. Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

H.E.R. Card. Carlos Osoro Sierra, Archbishop emeritus of Madrid, Spain.

Most Rev. John O. Barres, STD, JCL Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York, USA.

Mauro Mantovani, S.D.B., Prefect of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and Professor of Philosophy at the Salesian Pontifical University.

Rocco Ronzani, O.S.A. Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive.


In alphabetical order:

Santiago Acosta Aide, Rector of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador.

José Eduardo Afonso Furtado, Rector of the Theological University School of Cape Verde.

Antonio Allende Felgueroso, SJ, Magnificent Rector of Comillas Pontifical University, Spain.

Nicolás Álvarez de las Asturias, Magnificent Rector, San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University, Madrid, Spain.

Juan Cárdenas Tapia, SDB, Rector Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Ecuador.

Alberto Carrara, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, Italy.

Piero Coda, General Secretary of the International Theological Commission and Professor of Trinitarian Ontology, Istituto Universitario Sophia, Italy.

Riccardo Colasanti, University UPAEP, Puebla, Mexico.

Adela Cortina Orst, Emeritus Professor of Ethics and Political Philosophy, University of Valencia, Spain.

Wilhelm Danca, Dean Faculty of Theology, University of Bucharest, Member Romanian Academy and Academy of Sciences and Arts of Salzburg, Austria.

Liliana Isabel Díaz Cabrera, Rectora de la Universidad Mariana de Pasto, Colombia.

Santiago García-Jalón de La Lama, Magnificent Rector, Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain.

María Dolores García Mascarell, President Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia, Spain.

Luján González Portela, Pro-Rector Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Santo Domingo, Ecuador.

José López Guzmán, Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Navarra, Spain.

Higinio Marín Pedreño, Rector of the CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain.

Jesús Muñoz Díez, Pro-Rector, Pontifical Catholic University of Valencia, Spain.

Daniel Sada Castaño, Magnificent Rector Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Spain.

Mª. del Rosario Sáez Yuguero, Rector Magnificent Catholic University of Ávila, Spain.

Ľubomír Jozef Žák, Faculty of Theology, Palacky University, Olomouc and Charles University, Prague, Czech Rep.

In alphabetical order:

José Eduardo Afonso Furtado, Rector of the Theological University School of Cape Verde.

Robert Badillo, Professor St. John’s University, New York, United States.

Juan Jose Blazquez Ortega, Director, Center for the Study of Science and Religion, University of Puebla UPAEP.

Alberto Carrara, Philosophical Anthropology, Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome, Italy.

Claudia Caneva, Professor of Theology, Lateran University and Educational Sciences, Pontifical Salesian University, Italy.

Ángel Casado Marcos de León, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

Piero Coda, Secretary General of the International Theological Commission and Professor of Trinitarian Ontology, Department of Theology, Philosophy and Human Sciences, Istituto Universitario Sophia, Italy.

Riccardo Colasanti, University UPAEP, Puebla, Mexico.

Jesús Conill Sancho, Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Valencia, Spain.

Marie-Jeanne Coutagne, Facultés Loyola Paris, France.

Wilhelm Danca, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of Bucharest, member of the Romanian Academy, Academy of Sciences and Arts Salzburg, Austria.

Mariano Delgado, Faculty of Theology of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Cristina Díaz de la Cruz, Vice Rector of Distance and Open Modalities, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja – UTPL, Ecuador.

Markus Enders, Faculty of Theology, Freiburg, Germany.

Ascensión Escamilla Valera, Professor at the Ecclesiastical University of San Damaso and Director of FFR, Madrid, Spain.

Cornelia Esianu, Professor of Philosophy, Vienna Adult Education Centers, Austria.

José Luis Fernández Fernández, Director Iberdrola Chair of Economic and Business Ethics, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain.

Lourdes Grosso García, Professor, San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University, Madrid, Spain.

Antonio Heredia Soriano, Professor of Philosophy, University of Salamanca, Spain.

Camille Lacau Saint Guily, Faculty of Arts, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.

Carmen Lara Nieto, Professor of Philosophy, University of Granada, Spain.

José Ángel López Herrerías, Professor Emeritus, Theory of Education, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

José María López Sevillano, President of the Idente School.

Antonio Malo, Full Professor of Anthropology, Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and founding member of the Center for “Research in Relational Ontology” (ROR).

Patrizia Manganaro, Dean, Faculty of Philosophy, Lateran University, Rome, Italy.

Mauro Mantovani, S.D.B., Prefect of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and Professor of Philosophy at the Salesian Pontifical University.

Higinio Marín Pedreño, Rector of the CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain.

Benito Marín Serrano, Director of the Fernando Rielo Chair, Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain.

Giulio Maspero, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and founding member of the ROR, Relational Ontology Research Center, Rome, Italy.

Ciriaco Morón Arroyo, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University, United States.

Ricardo Piñero Moral, Full Professor Aesthetics and Theory of the Arts, University of Navarra, Spain.

Luis Miguel Romero Fernández, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, USA.

Juana Sánchez-Gey Venegas, Professor of Philosophy, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Director of Aula de Pensamiento FFR, Spain.

Peter Schallenberg, Faculty of Theology Paderborn, Germany.

Manuel Suances, Professor National University of Distance Education, UNED, Spain.

Víctor Manuel Tirado San Juan, Dean Faculty of Philosophy, San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University of Madrid, Spain.

Ilaria Vigorelli, Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of ROR – Research in Relational Ontology, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

Marco Viscomi, Doctor of Theoretical Philosophy, Italy.

Ľubomír Jozef Žák, Faculty of Theology, Palacky University, Olomouc and Charles University, Prague, Czech Rep.

Presidency:

Luis Casasús Latorre, President Fernando Rielo Foundation (FFR).
Juana Sánchez-Gey Venegas, Vicepresident FFR. Professor of Philosophy Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Fernando Real Ferrero, Vice President FFR.

Director:

José María López Sevillano, President of the Idente School.

Executive committee:

Ascensión Escamilla Valera, Director FFR.

Riccardo Colasanti, UPAEP University, Puebla, Mexico.

Mª Fernanda Lacilla Ramas, Director of Pedagogy Aula FFR, España.

Idente School (IS) Advisors (in alphabetical order):

Manoli, Blasco, IS Cádiz, Spain.

Rose B.  Calabretta, IS Rome, Italy.

Ricardo Campos, IS Istanbul, Turkey.

Angelina Gaspar, IS Rome, Italy.

Amadeo Giménez, IS Madrid, Spain.

Alberto Giralda, IS Prague, Czech Republic.

Cornelia Helfrich, IS Berlin, Germany.

Annick Johnson, IS Istanbul, Turkey.

Milos Miko, IS Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

David G. Murray, IS Rome, Italy.

Maite Otón, IS Santiago de Chile, Chile.

Luis Sánchez, IS Ibarra, Ecuador.

Paloma Suárez, IS Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.

Andrés Vicens, IS Istanbul, Turkey.

Gabrielle Villetard, IS Paris, France.

Pascale Vincette, IS Paris, France.

General Coordination:

Eleanna Guglielmi

Marco Viscomi

 

Administrative Secretariat: Fondazione idente di studi e di ricerca (FISER)

Carmen Quiroga Pereira

Claudia Reale

 

 

IT management:

Rebecca Sattler

 

 

Graphic Design and Communication: Misiones Universitarias· Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL)

Milenny Soto Alvarado

Luis Daniel Pinta Paute


Workshops

coming soon

Saying yes to life means enlivening one’s thoughts.

Pavel Florenskij

all reality

is constituted

in relation