Miguel Humberto Díaz (born September 29, 1963) is an American theologian,

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and commentator who served as United States Ambassador to the Holy See. He was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 5, 2009. He resigned on November 5, 2012, and was immediately named University Professor of Faith and Culture at the University of Dayton. He was the first Hispanic U.S. Ambassador accredited to the Holy See. As ambassador, Díaz helped launch the Religion in Foreign Policy Working Group of the Secretary of State's Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society. The Working Group facilitates regular dialogue between the U.S. foreign policy establishment and religious leaders, scholars, and practitioners worldwide on strategies to build more effective partnerships on issues such as conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and national security. On May 20, 2014,

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...

announced that they intended to hire Díaz as a professor despite a University of Dayton harassment allegation. A spokesman for Loyola said in an email, "We have reviewed the allegations raised against Miguel Diaz and our offer to him stands." He became a professor at Loyola on July 1, 2014.

Early life and education

Díaz was born in

Havana, Cuba Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, and he and his family departed for Spain when he was nine. Two years later, he immigrated to Florida. He comes from a modest background; his father worked as a waiter and his mother worked as a data entry clerk. Díaz holds a B.A. from

St. Thomas University St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: * Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame.

Career

Prior to his service as ambassador, he was a professor of theology at the

College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are two closely related private, Catholic higher education institutions in Minnesota. The College of Saint Benedict is a women's college located in St. Joseph, while Saint John's Univ ...

in Minnesota. Díaz is the co-editor of the book ''From the Heart of Our People: Explorations in Catholic Systematic Theology'' and author of ''On Being Human: U.S. Hispanic and Rahnerian Perspectives'', named "Best Book of the Year" by the

Hispanic Theological Initiative The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties fo ...

at Princeton Theological Seminary. Díaz has taught religious studies and theology at Barry University, the University of Dayton and the University of Notre Dame. From 2001 to 2003, he taught and served as academic dean at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in

Boynton Beach, Florida Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is situated about 57 miles north of Miami. The population was 68,217 at the 2010 census. In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 78,679 according to the University o ...

. He is a board member of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) and past president of the

Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

(ACHTUS). Conservative news outlet Newsmax claimed that Díaz was rejected by the Vatican several times. However, Time magazine said that the story was false. He presented his credentials on October 2, 2009, and served until November 10, 2012.

Theology

Building on the work of Karl Rahner, Díaz has placed extensive emphasis on the role of the Trinity in history. Along with theologians such as Catherine LaCugna, Díaz argues that the life of God cannot be considered apart from history, but must be conceived as "for us, and for our salvation." In this vein, he has also asserted that in the contemporary American context, God can be seen vividly "in the face of migrants," who face the dangers of economic insecurity, violence, and social marginalization in search of a better life.

Speeches

Díaz gave his first speech on U.S. soil as ambassador on Friday, February 5, 2010, at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, Fl. He spoke at the seminary's 11th Annual Fides et Ratio Conference on the relations between the U.S. Government and the Holy See. Ambassador Díaz attended St. John Vianney College Seminary and obtained a certificate in Pre-Theology. He received several honorary doctorates while serving as ambassador. After joining the University of Dayton, he was sought for analysis and comment by the national news media, especially upon the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013. He currently holds the John Courtney Murray University Chair in Public Service at Loyola University Chicago where he continues to be sought by multiple media outlets for analysis and commentary.

References

Report: Miguel Diaz, UD prof, accused of harassment
The Dayton Daily News, May 5, 2014
Former ambassador Vatican moves new university after sexual harassment investigation
Inside Higher May 5, 2014

The Chicago SunTimes May 6, 2014
Former SJU professor accused of sexual harassment at Dayton
The Saint Cloud Times May 6, 2014
Obama ex-Vatican envoy hit by sex harassment complaint
Washington Post May 6, 2014

External links

University of Dayton

University of Dayton faculty page for Miguel Diaz

* ttp://www.krs.stjohnsem.edu/ Karl Rahner Societywith Biography and Bibliography
The Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS)
with press release {{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Miguel Humberto 1963 births Living people 20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians 21st-century American Roman Catholic theologians Cuban emigrants to the United States University of Notre Dame alumni Ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See Roman Catholic writers Systematic theologians Hispanic and Latino American diplomats Cuban Roman Catholic theologians 21st-century American diplomats