Cahill said that she didn't necessarily have the answers to these questions, and encouraged the creation of an open dialogue, noting the value of learning from others.
Cahill cited the example of two seniors' theses on sexuality. Both students - one gay, one straight - shared the same problem: It is very difficult to devise sexual ethics that are faithful to Catholic tradition and relevant today. In responding to a question from a student about the global influence of the Catholic Church, Cahill returned to this idea of sexual relevance, posing the question of whether a church that is truly global can have a sexual ethic and ideal that appeals to everyone.
"Even though we are educated with and we adopt ideas of equality, we go into institutions that are set up to undermine that," Cahill said.
Cahill said that one's sexual integrity is demanding on personal, interpersonal, and social levels.
"First, who am I as a person who has a body, a spirit, a psychology? Second, is the level of sexual expression commensurate with the level of trust? Third, we all have identities that come from the communities to which we belong," Cahill said.
"We have to be faithful to these identities even as we challenge and negotiate them in the world."
Spring Break
