Vincenzo Pacillo

Prof. Vincenzo Pacillo is a Full Professor of Law and Religion at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. He holds a law degree from the University of Milan (1995) and a PhD in Ecclesiastical and Canon Law from the University of Perugia (2000). His academic career includes teaching and research roles at the Universities of Bern, Leicester, and Istanbul. He founded and directs the ORFECT (Observatory on Religious Freedom in ECtHR Jurisprudence), an interdisciplinary research center focusing on religious freedom, intercultural law, and legal pluralism. His research explores the intersection of law, religion, and culture, with a focus on sustainable secularism, religious minorities, and digital ethics.

Prof. Pacillo’s work bridges legal scholarship and cultural analysis, addressing themes such as freedom of conscience, migration’s impact on religious diversity, and the role of artificial intelligence in religious heritage preservation. He has organized international conferences, contributed to the Gratianus program at Paris-Saclay University, and serves on academic editorial boards. His current projects include the ENTER/EXIT cluster on legal dynamics of religious exit and the FARO Center for religious cultural heritage studies.

He supervises PhD students including Basira Hussen, Giulia Kakavas, and Alessandra Viani, focusing on topics like Iraqi Kurdistan’s religious autonomy, Greek religious minorities, and digital communication rights. His teaching spans courses on Law and Religion, Canon Law, and Human Rights.