Francisco Javier Pueyo Velasco (TEO 11, PhD 14) has been recognized by Pope Francis with the award of the Pontifical Academies 2018 for his research The Earthly Fullness of the Kingdom of God in the History of Theology, which he defended at the School of Theology of the University of Navarra in 2014.

Vicar of the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and chaplain of high school Marist Santa Maria del Prado in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), Pueyo went to Rome on December 4 to receive the award from the hands of the Supreme Pontiff.

The submission of the Awards, now in their XXIII edition, was held at the Chancellery Palace, in a ceremony attended by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the President of the committee Pontifical Council for Culture and of committee coordinator among the Pontifical Academies, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi.

According to Pope Francis, the purpose of this recognition is to "promote and support the commitment of those who, especially young people or institutions that work with them, distinguish themselves in their respective sectors to contribute to the promotion of a new Christian humanism". 

The award, exaequo, also went to Stefano Abbate, for his research "The secularization of Christian hope through gnosis and Ebionism".