On June 4, the first doctoral dissertation produced by the Institute of Anthropology (IADC), the latest academic unit created within the Pontifical Gregorian University, was defended. This date therefore marks a milestone in the history of the Institute, as well as a moment of great pride.

The author of the dissertation is Fr. Richard Dass Arogya Swamy, a Montfortian religious originally from Gokunte (Karnataka, India). The defense was evaluated by a commission composed of the Director of the Institute, Fr. Hans Zollner; Dr. Angela Rinaldi, the dissertation’s censor; and Dr. Wim Vandewiele, the thesis supervisor. The thesis, titled “Male Sexual Abuse in Indian Seminaries: Impacts on Spiritual Life and Psychological Well-being,” offers a bold and timely reflection on a deeply entrenched taboo in Indian society. According to the newly minted PhD, the work opens a critical dialogue on an issue long kept in the shadows.

• For more information, visit the Institute of Anthropology webpage