Doctorate in Theology (STD)

The Institute has been entrusted with the mission of engaging in theology in dialogue with the other sciences to enable local Churches better to accompany families, especially those who are suffering, and to do so in a way that values the resources of their cultures, renewed by the light of the Gospel.

The Licentiate (canonical) and Doctorate (canonical) programs in Theology of Marriage and the Family aim to offer those who have already earned a Bachelor’s or Licentiate degree in Theology specialized training on the reality of the family, in accordance with the Church’s magisterium and attentive to the questions of contemporary society, to prepare them for future leadership roles in pastoral, missionary, and educational fields, in service to local churches.

Students will acquire specific skills to accompany families through the various stages of life, such as marriage preparation, welcoming and raising children, transmitting the faith, and caring for the vulnerable, with training also in the areas of contextual and interdisciplinary theology.

The Social Doctrine of the Family, the synodal method, and a simultaneous focus on global and local contexts are the main features of the program, making this educational offering unique in its kind.

Doctorate in Theology of Marriage and the Family (STD)

The doctoral program is structured as a doctoral school, where doctoral students in Theology and the Sciences work together, in collaboration with the faculty, to learn how to conduct research within an international academic community, while respecting each other’s differences and contributions.

Duration: 3 academic years.
Admission requirement: Licentiate in Theology (STL) with at least magna cum laude.
Objectives: The Doctorate qualifies graduates to teach in a faculty or seminary through scholarly training, research, and the completion of a doctoral dissertation.
Study Plan 2026-2027 (all courses and seminars are taught in Italian)
Academic Norms for the Doctorate

RESEARCH – DOCTORAL SCHOOL

An exciting challenge is emerging: to engage in a fruitful dialogue on marriage and the family across different fields of theology, as well as between theology and the other sciences.

Msgr. Philippe Bordeyne, President

Emerging Issues on Marriage and the Family
During the doctoral program, the John Paul II Institute is committed to fostering scientific research and critical reflection in dialogue with the international community.
The discernment of emerging issues in the realm of marriage and the family currently revolves around three thematic axes:

Diaconia of Marriage and Families: Today’s fragilities call for acceptance, listening, and support. Families become witnesses to the Gospel through love lived out in daily life.
Family, Church, and Society: the family is a social actor that overcomes the distinction between private and public spheres, contributing to the common good. Theology is called to support the public commitment of families in the values of justice and solidarity.
Families, Care, Mobility, and Migration: exploring the role of migrant families as protagonists of new forms of coexistence, participation, and cultural and ecclesial transformation.

Educational and Formative Guidelines 2026–2027

Ten Years of Amoris laetitia: fostering spaces for reflection on the themes of the Apostolic Exhortation and on deepening its implementation and pastoral organization in light of Amoris laetitia, involving the Institute’s alumni.
The Living Legacy of the Second Vatican Council: promoting the study of conciliar documents and their impact on ecclesial practices, as well as on subsequent magisterial guidelines regarding the family and social doctrine.
Social Doctrine on the Family: to deepen the Church’s social teaching on issues affecting family life in all its aspects. To develop practical and educational approaches based primarily on concrete family realities and experiences.

Doctoral School: A Shared Passion for Research
Students who choose to pursue a doctoral program at the John Paul II Institute, in Theology or in Sciences of Marriage and the Family, actively participate in a “Doctoral School.”The program takes place within a research community where the doctoral student, alongside the faculty, shares their work and collaborates in building a dynamic, open, and interdisciplinary study environment. The goal is to create a space for mutual learning where one can think with freedom and responsibility.
The Doctoral School promotes internationalization through regular connections with its overseas branches and affiliated centers, as well as with other international academic institutions.

SCIENCES THEOLOGY

Further INFORMATION
Mrs. Angela MEZZANOTTI
e-mail: teologia@istitutogp2.it
Tel: (+39) 06 698 95 536

INFORMATION REQUEST