Professorship for Canon Law

Catholic Church in German society - Meeting with people and institutions in Berlin

The summer semester 2025 began with a study trip to Berlin. On 1 April 2025, the team from the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Erfurt: Professor Myriam Wijlens, Franziska Weber and Dr Mykola Marksteiner-Mishchenko organised the opportunity for students and doctoral candidates from the Faculty of Catholic Theology to meet with leaders from five different institutions in Berlin. The trip was also offered as part of the seminar "Catholic Church in German Society". The aim was to learn about the institutions' work tasks and projects on the one hand and to explore potential internships and jobs on the other.

Informative lectures, exciting discussions and enriching encounters took place for the 14 participants with Ms Uta Losem, Deputy Head of the Commissariat of the German Bishops - Catholic Office, Dr Birgit Fix, Head of the Political Contact Point at the German Caritas Association, Mr Joachim Hake, Director of the Catholic Academy in Berlin and Dr Jörg Lüer, Managing Director of the German Commission for Justice and Peace. Finally, Msgr Jürgen Doetsch received the group at the Apostolic Nunciature.

The students and doctoral candidates had already prepared for the content of the meetings in advance. They were very impressed by the work carried out by the various institutions. A big thank you to all those involved for a successful event! It was an enriching experience to be travelling together as a group.

Myriam Wijlens retains honorary professorship at Durham University

The University of Durham has once again appointed Professor Dr Myriam Wijlens, a canon lawyer at the University of Erfurt, as an honorary professor. She has already received this honour several times since 2012.

The professorship is linked in particular to a research collaboration in the "Receptive Ecumenism" project. Professor Wijlens and Professor Dr Paul Murray, the head of the Department of Theology and Religion in Durham, were appointed as experts for the international dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the Vatican and the Anglican Church in Canterbury in 2018 (ARCIC III). This project also includes research into the structures of decision-making in the two churches. Myriam Wijlens' research on the topic of "Transparency - Accountability - Responsability: Reform of Church Structures and Practices" is also closely related to this project

Official announcement from the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Erfurt

Tillard Chair: Lecture by Professor Myriam Wijlens - "The Church of God is convened in Synod"

The lecture by Professor Dr Myriam Wijlens on the topic

"The Church of God is Convoked in Synod": Theological and Canonical Challenges
Concerning the 2021-2023 Synod

from 19 November 2021 at the Tillard Chair of the Angelicum in Rome, can be listened to here.