Mediterranean Theological Network (RTMed)

The Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta is a member of the Mediterranean Theological Network (RTMed), an international network dedicated to fostering theological reflection rooted in the Mediterranean context and committed to promoting dialogue, encounter, and peace among peoples and religions.
The origins of RTMed can be traced to June 2019, when the conference “Theology after Veritatis Gaudium in the Mediterranean Context” was held in Naples, with the participation of Pope Francis. His address provided a decisive impetus for reflection on what it means to do theology from the Mediterranean and how such an approach can contribute to the ongoing renewal of theological thought.

RTMed was officially established in September 2023 during the Mediterranean Meetings in Marseille, bringing together academic institutions and research centres from across the five shores of the Mediterranean. The publication of the Manifesto for a Theology of the Mediterranean marked the formal birth of the network. Its mission is to strengthen bonds among the ecclesial communities of the Mediterranean and to promote a culture of peace through a theology open to dialogue, encounter, and mutual understanding.

In June 2025, the international and transdisciplinary symposium On the Roads of the Mediterranean: Methodological Orientations for a Theology from the Mediterranean was held in Malta, bringing together scholars and researchers from across the region to advance reflection on the methodological foundations of Mediterranean theology.

Building on this work, RTMed published in June 2026 the document Methodological Notes for a Theology from the Mediterranean [PDF], the fruit of a collaborative process of research and dialogue involving theologians and academic institutions from the various shores of the Mediterranean. The document, which was presented to Pope Leo XIV, proposes methodological criteria for interpreting Mediterranean reality in the light of the Gospel. The Mediterranean is understood as a “theological place”: a space where peoples, cultures, and faiths meet, and where religious plurality, cultural diversity, conflict, and hope are continually intertwined. The Mediterranean, described as a “sea between lands that both separates and unites,” becomes a symbol of identities strengthened through encounter and dialogue. The document therefore calls for a theology not merely of dialogue, but one that is itself in dialogue, capable of crossing cultural, religious, and disciplinary boundaries: a theology understood as a shared journey, built through networks and oriented towards peace and hope.

Today, RTMed brings together 27 institutions and research centres from across the five shores of the Mediterranean. The network continues to grow, promoting collaboration, shared research initiatives, academic exchange, and theological reflection in service of fraternity, dialogue, and peace.