Father Emanuel-Pavel Tavala, cultural advisor to the Archdiocese of Sibiu and a university lecturer at the Faculty of Law of 'Lucian Blaga' University, was elected president of the European Consortium for Church and State Research on Saturday.

The election took place during the General Assembly held in Copenhagen, with the Romanian priest securing the majority of the votes from the organization's members, the Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate reported on Monday.

Among the priorities of the consortium's new leadership is the amendment of its statutes to allow for the admission of new members from the states already represented, as well as, potentially, from countries outside the European Union.

Furthermore, plans include more effectively promoting the organization's activities online and within the European academic sphere, as well as attracting young researchers.

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The European Consortium for Church and State Research was officially established on December 12, 1989, though cooperation among specialists in this field had begun as early as 1978. The organization brings together university professors interested in studying the relationships between states and religious denominations in Europe, from historical, political, and, most notably, legal perspectives. The European institution holds annual meetings dedicated to the relationship between Church and State, during which members present national studies and reports. The conclusions drawn from these meetings can help inform future legislative regulations.

Its publishing activities include the ''European Journal for Church and State Research'' and the volume ''State and Church in the European Union'', which has been translated into several languages. In collaboration with research institutions in Strasbourg, a bibliographic database on law and religion across 27 European countries has also been developed.

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Father Emanuel-Pavel Tavala is a university lecturer in the Department of Public Law at the Faculty of Law of the 'Lucian Blaga' University of Sibiu.

He pursued university studies in both law and theology in Sibiu, and completed doctoral studies on the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church under the supervision of Father Academician Mircea Pacurariu.

In 2009, he concluded his doctoral research focused on the Romanian diaspora in Western Europe. His academic background also includes doctoral studies in canon law and comparative religious law at universities in Bern (Switzerland) and Trier (Germany), as well as a doctorate in law from the University of Sibiu. Currently, the clergyman serves as cultural advisor to the Archdiocese of Sibiu and as parish priest of the 'Trei Stejari 1' Church in Sibiu. AGERPRES(RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)