Collective Responsibility for Systemic Injustice

Sor Juana's persecution wasn't only individual bishops' actions; it was institutional—the Church, the state, the patriarchal system of her era all participated in her silencing. Justice required more than individual apology; it required systemic transformation. This concept challenges the restorative justice tendency to focus only on direct actors. When harm is systemic—discrimination, exploitation, erasure—true accountability requires collective recognition and change. Sor Juana's model shows that individual accountability matters but is insufficient without institutional reckoning. Restorative processes must include space for systemic examination: How did institutions enable this harm? Who benefited? What patterns does this incident reveal? Collective responsibility doesn't mean erasing individual accountability; rather, it expands the circle of those involved in accountability and repair. When communities, institutions, and systems acknowledge their participation in harm, transformation becomes possible. This might include policy changes, resource redistribution, structural reform, and the centering of marginalized voices in decision-making. Sor Juana's life demonstrates that justice is incomplete when it addresses only individuals while leaving oppressive systems intact.