America magazine publishes article on the VHI 'Clericalism and Sexuality' research project

An insightful piece by Dr Catherine Osbourne on the VHI research project 'Clericalism and Sexuality' was published by America Magazine.

The article 'A University of Cambridge research project takes a frank look at clericalism and sexuality' reports on last September's VHI Symposium, led by Dr Luigi Gioia, when an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars gathered in Cambridge:

"The Von Hügel project seeks to broaden the conversation about clericalism and sexuality beyond the 'the abuse crisis'. Clericalism touches the lives, beliefs and practices of millions of Catholics who have neither committed, directly enabled, nor suffered what we would describe as sexual abuse; how does this systemic reality affect their experience? Because the system maintains both vast power imbalances and an unwillingness to confront its own failings, it seems impossible to avoid clericalism’s link to abusive behavior. This question seems likely to continue to shape the research of the project’s participants, both those seeking to accurately describe the situation and those seeking pathways for change".

Catherine R. Osborne is a historian of American Catholicism and the author of American Catholics and the Church of Tomorrow: Building Churches for the Future, 1925-1975 (University of Chicago Press, 2018).