On Thursday, 12 June 2025, the Faculty of Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome witnessed the successful defence of a doctoral thesis by a Slovak biblical scholar. Sr. Katarína Pavelová, SSpS, a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit, presented the thesis.
In her English-language thesis, the candidate examined the theme ‘So must the Son of Man be exalted’ (Jn 3:14). A pragmatic and intertextual reinterpretation of the exaltation of the serpent. Among other things, she highlighted possible connections between this passage in John’s Gospel and Old Testament passages, such as Wisdom 16:5-7 and Numbers 21:4-9.
Luca Pedroli, an Italian biblical scholar who teaches biblical Greek and courses on John’s literature (with a specialism in the Apocalypse) at the Pontifical Biblical Institute (PBI) in Rome, was the moderator of the work. He is also a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University (PUG) and the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, as well as being the spiritual father of the Pontifical Lombard Seminary in Rome. His opponent was Professor Fabrizio Ficco, an expert on the Pentateuch who teaches at the PUG and the Centre for Theology for the Laity Ecclesia Mater. He is also prefect of studies at the Diocesan College Redemptoris Mater.
Anna Mátiková, FSP
