The Congregation for Catholic Education has confirmed the election of Reverend Father Bernhard A. Eckerstorfer OSB as the new Rettore Magnifico of the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome.
On 5 December 2019, the Congregation for Catholic Education confirmed the election of R.F. Bernhard Eckerstorfer, a Benedictine professor from the Abbey of Kremsmünster (Austria), as Rector of the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome. The election that took place on 4 October 2019 was presided over by the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation, the Most Rev. Gregory J. Polan OSB, Grand Chancellor of the University. Professor Eckerstorfer takes office on 16 December 2019 and has taken over for the outgoing R.F. Abbot Stefano Visintin OSB, who for two years held the same position at the University.
The Benedictine theological school of Sant’Anselmo was founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1887. It currently consists of three faculties: Philosophy, Theology and the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. In addition to the Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Theology, it offers specializations in Philosophy, Theology and Liturgy: Philosophy of Religion, History of Theology, Spiritual Theology, Monastic Studies, Dogmatic-Sacramental Theology and Liturgy.
Fr. Eckerstorfer, born in Linz, Austria, obtained a Master of Theological Studies in 1994 at Mount Angel Seminary College, Oregon, USA. After receiving a Magister Theologiae in 1996 with a thesis in ecumenical theology, he completed a Doctor Theologiae in 1999 with a doctoral thesis in fundamental theology at the University of Salzburg in Austria.
From 2013 he taught Systematic Theology at the Catholic University of Linz and from 2014 Spiritual Theology at the University of Salzburg. He has also been a member of the Advisory Board of Sant’Anselmo University since 2017.
He is the author of Kirche in der postmodernen Welt: Der Beitrag George Lindbecks zu einer neuen Verhältnisbestimmung, Tyrolia Verlag, Innsbruck-Wien 2001 and more than 80 articles and 110 reviews published in theological and monastic series and magazines.