On November 7, 2026, in Rome, the International Martin Luther Foundation (IMLS) will present the "LutherRose for Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurial Courage" to the Italian church historian Professor Dr. Alberto Melloni.

Professor Dr. Alberto Melloni will receive the "LutherRose 2026 for Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurial Courage" during the 19th Luther Conference. Through his life and professional work, he embodies the Reformation tradition of freedom and responsibility for the common good.

Melloni is considered one of the most influential figures in contemporary European research on church history. He is internationally recognized for his scholarly work on ecumenical councils—particularly the significance of the Second Vatican Council for the development of the Catholic Church—as well as for his research on the history of the papacy.

"In honoring Professor Alberto Melloni," says Chairman of the Board Dr. Ulrich Born, "our foundation recognizes an outstanding Catholic scholar who brings the Reformation legacy of freedom and responsibility into the present day in a truly remarkable way. For decades, he has been committed to ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, peace, and social reconciliation. Within the international research institutions and networks he has established, academic freedom and cultural diversity flourish, transcending both denominational and national boundaries."

Alberto Melloni is a professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and serves as secretary of the Foundation for Religious Studies (FSCIRE). Since 2017, he has been a member of the Accademia dei Lincei and holds the UNESCO Chair on Religious Pluralism and Peace at Sapienza University of Rome. From 2020 to 2024, he served as a chief scientific advisor to the European Commission.

The laudatory speech for the recipient will be delivered by Professor Rita Cucchiara. Cucchiara is the Rector of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

The award ceremony for the LutherRose will take place on November 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà at the Campo Santo Teutonico.

Prior to the award ceremony, the Luther Conference 2026 will open at the same location at 3:00 p.m.

The Cranach-Triegel Retable from Naumburg is currently on display in the church at the Campo Santo. In a guest lecture, Dr. Andreas Raub, a specialist in art history at the Roman Institute of the Görres Society, will explore the history behind this work of art. The winged altarpiece—created in 1519 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, with its central panel lost during the iconoclasm of the 16th century—was redesigned in 2022 by the Leipzig-based artist Michael Triegel. The Marian retable will remain on view at the Campo Santo until November 2027.

Addressing the theme of this year’s panel discussion, "No Lasting City – The Entrepreneur as Pilgrim," will be Heinrich Otto Deichmann, CEO of Deichmann SE; Ute Hofmann, Managing Director of Laika Caravans S.p.A.; and Dr. Markus Krienke, Professor of Modern Philosophy and Social Ethics. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Thadäus R. König, President of the Thuringian State Parliament.

Herman Selderhuis, a board member of the International Martin Luther Foundation, will deliver the keynote address, titled "Willy, Martin and Marketing – The Academic Entrepreneur." Selderhuis is a professor of Church History and Canon Law at the Theological University of Apeldoorn (Netherlands), director of the international platform Refo500, and president of the European Academy of Religion.

Erfurt’s Catholic Bishop, Dr. Ulrich Neymeyr will address the participants of the commemorative event at its conclusion.

The 2026 Luther Conference is supported by the German Embassy to the Holy See. Ambassador Dr. Bruno Kahl will attend the Luther Conference in person.

Trumpeter Domenico Agostini and Gianluca Libertucci—organist at St. Peter’s Basilica, for papal audiences, and for the Swiss Guard Chapel—will provide a special musical backdrop for the event.