From Kalymnos to the Great Questions of Existence
Εconomist and author Eutimio Tiliacos embarks on a philosophical and theological exploration of the deepest questions of human existence in his new book, In Search of Reality (Alla ricerca della realtà), published in March 2026.
The essay approaches reality not merely as something perceived through human experience and the natural world, but also as a path towards the higher and ultimate reality of God.
Among the book’s principal sources of inspiration are the thought of the distinguished Greek Orthodox theologian and Metropolitan of Pergamon John Zizioulas and the writings of 13th-century theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas. Tiliacos examines reality both in its eschatological dimension and through the “analogy of being” – the idea that the natural world surrounding humanity may serve as a path leading towards knowledge of God.
The publication carries particular significance as it features a foreword by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. According to information accompanying the book’s presentation, it sold out almost immediately in bookstores and received favourable reviews both in Italy and internationally.
Eutimio Tiliacos was born in Rome in September 1945 and maintains a strong connection with Kalymnos. Both of his paternal grandparents were Greek and originated from the island, while his maternal family is Italian. He holds Italian, Greek and Irish citizenship.
He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Commerce at Rome’s “La Sapienza” University, where his thesis on economic and financial policy was supervised by the prominent economist Federico Caffè. He later completed three years of postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, conducting research into the economic impact of commodity-price fluctuations on energy-producing and energy-consuming countries with the assistance of Sir John Hicks, winner of the 1972 Nobel Prize in Economics.
Throughout his extensive professional career, Tiliacos held senior executive positions in several major Italian and international companies. He participated in development projects across Europe, Asia and Africa and later collaborated with the European Commission as an external expert on the Galileo satellite programme and EUSPA-related initiatives.
From June 2015 until September 2021, he served as Secretary General of the Vatican Foundation Centesimus Annus pro Pontifice. In recognition of his work, he was awarded the Vatican honour of Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great in 2021. In 2019, he was also admitted as an Auditor to the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon Region, convened by Pope Francis.
In Search of Reality represents the culmination of a remarkable journey through economics, international business, European institutions and theological reflection. At the same time, the author’s Kalymnian heritage gives the publication particular importance for the island, highlighting a distinguished member of the diaspora who has turned his attention to the timeless questions of faith, existence and truth.
