Restoring Recognition

A Case for Restorative Justice in the Catholic Church By Kevin Langyintuo

In Restoring Recognition, I explore how the Catholic Church’s ongoing sexual abuse crisis reveals the deep inadequacies of retributive justice. Drawing from recognition theory—particularly the work of Axel Honneth—I argue that survivors suffer not only physical and psychological harm but also profound misrecognition: a denial of their identity, agency, and humanity.

This essay makes the case for restorative justice as a more human-centered alternative—one that centers victim agency, encourages dialogue, and creates space for healing. Through survivor testimony and a Canadian case study, I show how restorative practices can lead to outcomes that retribution often cannot: acknowledgment, community repair, and even spiritual reconciliation.

Rather than focusing solely on punishment, restorative justice allows survivors to define what justice looks like—sometimes through accountability, sometimes through religious rituals of penance, and often through being heard.


Read the full paper here.


Topics: Restorative Justice, Recognition Theory, Catholic Church, Trauma, Ethics, Community Healing
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