POPE Francis has appointed a Filipino Dominican priest and economist based in the United States as the new member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
In an article in CBCP News online, the pontiff announced the new assignment of Fr. Albino Barrera, 65, last Tuesday.
Barrera is currently teaching economics and theology at Providence College in Rhode Island.
As a new member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Barrera will be tasked to relate Church teachings with social sciences like economics, sociology, law and political science.
Barrera studied engineering at the De La Salle University in Manila and earned his doctorate in economics from Yale University in 1988.
He was ordained a priest for the Dominican Order in 1993 before he obtained a degree in sacred theology from Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., a year later.
During the course of his career, he wrote in numerous publications in the fields of moral theology, economic ethics, development and international trade.