«The congress intends to study the subject of humanism in all its breadth and depth, including history, human sciences, philosophy and theology, as St. Thomas did in his work,» the organizers said in a statement. The majority of participants are from Italy, Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Poland.
The congress will open at the Palace of the Apostolic Chancery. Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, will deliver the opening address.
The congress will also be addressed by Cardinals Paul Poupard and Alfonso López Trujillo, presidents, respectively, of the pontifical councils for culture and for the family.
Among the participants and experts on St. Thomas are Father Georges Cottier, Papal Household theologian; Father Joseph Di Noia, undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and specialists such as Leo Elders and Ralph McInerny.
This is the tenth meeting of the St. Thomas Pontifical Academy and the fifth meeting of the St. Thomas International Society. It is the first time that the two institutions join in a single congress.