Sister Alessandra Smerilli
Sister Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, a nun of the Salesian tradition, was born in Vasto (Ch) in 1974. She obtained a PhD in Political Economy from La Sapienza University in Rome and a PhD in Economics from the University of East Anglia (UK).
The author of various books and articles, she writes for Catholic newspapers and is a frequent guest on television and radio programmes.
Since 2014, she has been a Full Professor of Economics at PFSE-Auxilium, a pontifical university in Rome, and also lectures at the Pontifical Lateran University. She is the founder and a member of the scientific committee of the ‘School of Civil Economy’, a member of the ‘National Council for the Third Sector’ and of the ‘Scientific and Organisational Committee of the Social Weeks of Catholics’, promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI). She is also a member of various ethics committees and of the “Permanent Women’s Consultation Group” of the Holy See, part of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
In 2019, Sister Alessandra was appointed by Pope Francis as a Councillor of the Vatican State, the first woman in history to hold this position.
She currently serves at the Dicastery for Integral Human Development as Acting Secretary. She also heads the Vatican’s Covid-19 Commission, established by Pope Francis in March 2020.
Francesca DiMaolo
Born in Spoleto on 7 September 1970 and living in Assisi, Francesca Di Maolo is a labour lawyer. Since 2013, she has been president of the Seraphic Institute for the Deaf, Mute and Blind, which provides rehabilitation, diagnosis and treatment for children and young people with physical, mental and sensory disabilities; the organisation is accredited and has an agreement with the National Health Service.
She graduated in Law from University of Perugia, on 19 October 1995, with a dissertation in Labour Law entitled ‘Corporate Practice’; she went on to complete a specialisation (following a three-year course) at the School of Specialisation in Labour, Trade Union and Social Security Law at the University of Macerata, presenting a dissertation entitled ‘Minimum Social Protection’. In 2021, she attended and successfully completed the management training course for General Managers of Local Health Authorities, Hospital Trusts and other National Health Service (SSN) bodies. From 2004 to 2009, she was a lecturer in Comparative Labour Law at the University of Macerata, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, on the degree programme in Linguistic Mediation. From 2006 to 2013, she was a lecturer in ‘Sources of Labour Law’ at the University of Perugia, on the degree programme in Legal Services. She also taught, again in the field of Labour Law, to students enrolled at the ‘Lorenzo Migliorini’ School of Legal Professions. From 2006 to 2013, she was a contract lecturer with the training services of Confindustria Umbria. Francesca is a consultant to the National Office for Pastoral Care in Health of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI); a member of the CEI’s planning office for pastoral care in health; President of ARIS for the Umbria Region and a Councillor on the National Council of ARIS (Religious Association of Social and Health Care Institutions); Director of the “Giuseppe Toniolo” School of Socio-Political Formation; Director of the Office for Social Issues and Employment of the Diocese of Assisi.
Francesca has an extensive list of publications in specialist journals.
Padre Giulio Albanese
Father Giulio Albanese was born in Rome on 12 March 1959. He is an Italian missionary and journalist and belongs to the Congregation of the Comboni Missionaries. He has been a priest since 1986, and has directed the New People Media Centre in Nairobi and, in 1997, founded the Missionary Service News Agency, which later became the Missionary International Service News Agency.
He contributes to various publications on issues relating to Africa and the Global South, including *Avvenire*, *Città Nuova*, *Messaggero di Sant’Antonio*, *Italia – Caritas*, Vatican Radio, Swiss Radio and *Il Giornale* on Rai Radio.
From February 2007 to June 2014, he taught ‘missionary journalism/alternative journalism’ at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and, until 2019, served as editor-in-chief of the missionary journals of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Since January 2018, he has also been editor-in-chief of the journal *Amici di Follereau*. He is also a member of the Committee for Charitable Initiatives in Support of Third World Countries of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI). Since March 2019, he has been a columnist for *L’Osservatore Romano*.
He is also the author of several essays on geopolitics, journalism and missionary theology.
In July 2003, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded him the title of Grand Officer of the Italian Republic.
Over the years, he has won 19 journalism awards and four literary prizes.
Benjamin Martin
Ben Martin is a young layman living in Tampa, Florida, USA with his wife, Amelja, and their two sons, Peter and James.
He works as Vice-President for Investment Operations at Atlantic Merchant Capital Investors, a private investment bank in Tampa.
He also serves on the board of the ‘Martin Family Foundation’, which supports Catholic education, pro-life initiatives and other works of mercy. He is Vice-President for Evangelisation at ‘Caritas in Veritate International’, a US-based confederation of over 60 charitable organisations worldwide.
Ben studied philosophy at Boston College and Loyola University in Chicago, spending several summers in Rome and some time in Assisi.
He has written extensively on ethics, ecumenism, ecclesiology and synodality.
The Bishop of St Petersburg (Florida) recently appointed Ben as a member of the diocesan committee responsible for furthering the synodal process at a local level.
Professore Marcello Signorelli
Marcello Signorelli is Full Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Perugia. He has served as Head of the Department of Economics (2022–2025) and as an elected member of the Governing Council of the Italian Economic Association, where he conceived and coordinated the Committee for Scientific Dissemination and Communication (2019–2025). He also served as a member of the National Scientific Qualification ("ASN”) Committee for the Scientific Disciplinary Group in Economic Policy (2023–2026). Since 2024, he has been a member of the Council of the Bank of Italy, Perugia Branch, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Economy of Francesco Foundation. From 2010 to 2012, he served as elected President of the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies. He has also served as an elected member of the Academic Senate of the University of Perugia (2014–2016), elected Chair of the Council in Economics at the Department of Economics of the University of Perugia (2017–2020), and a member of the Committee for International Relations of the Italian Economic Association (2016–2019).He studied economics and related disciplines, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, a PhD, a two-year postgraduate specialization, and a European Master’s degree, primarily at the University of Siena. He has also undertaken research and/or teaching activities at Columbia University, the University of Warwick, University College London, Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, and the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow.Since 1995, he has taught at several universities and departments, primarily courses within the Scientific Disciplinary Group of Economic Policy. He has also promoted and coordinated Erasmus and other academic exchange agreements with several European universities, including University College London, Reykjavik University, and the University of Warsaw.He has participated in numerous funded international, national, and local research projects, including as Principal Investigator or Coordinator. His research output comprises more than 120 publications, predominantly in international peer-reviewed journals and internationally disseminated edited volumes and book chapters. He is also the co-author of several monographs and of the most widely adopted textbook on Economic Policy in Italian universities.He currently serves as Co-Editor of The European Journal of Comparative Economics and as a member of the Editorial Board of Eastern European Economics.For further information, please visit his personal website at the following link: https://marcellosignorelli.it/en