Alex Trelinski
POPE Francis has dissolved an extreme conservative Peruvian based group whose leader was accused of being a sexual predator and running the organisation like a cult.
Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana was founded by Luis Fernando Figari, accused of being a sexual predator and leader of an organisation that acted as a cult.
It confirmed the news this week after the Vatican made its intentions clear in January, and the group has asked for forgiveness from victims.
READ MORE:
- Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi one step closer to sainthood as Pope recognises his ‘heroic virtue’
- Spanish priest is removed from his Costa Blanca parish for calling Pope Francis a ‘heretic’
- Spanish mayor who imitated the pope is investigated for ‘offending religion’
A statement said: “With sorrow and obedience, we accept this decision, specifically approved by Pope Francis, which puts an end to our group.”
“Our eyes also turn to the victims, to whom we reiterate our sincere request for forgiveness for the mistreatment and abuse committed within our community.”
“ We also ask forgiveness from the entire Church and society for the pain caused. We trust that the efforts we have made in the reparation process will bear fruit,” the statement added.
At its height, the group had around 20,000 members across South America and the United States and was enormously influential in Peru.
Former members complained to the Lima archdiocese in 2011 about abuses by Luis Figari with other claims dating back to the year 2000.
Neither the archdiocese or the Vatican took any action until one of the victims, Pedro Salinas, wrote a book along with journalist Paola Ugaz detailing Sodalicio’s practices in 2015, called ‘Half Monks, Half Soldiers’.
In 2017, a report commissioned by the group’s leadership determined that Figari sodomised his recruits and subjected them to humiliating psychological and other sexual abuses.
After an attempt at reform, Pope Francis sent his two most trusted investigators, Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, to look into the m abuses.
Their report uncovered ‘sadistic’ sect-like abuses of power, authority and spirituality, economic abuses in administering church money and even journalistic abuses of harassing critics.
Their report resulted in the expulsions last year of Figari and 10 top members, including an archbishop who sued Salinas and Ugaz for their reporting and was forced into early retirement.
