ROME. The Vatican has expelled Luis Fernando Figari, the founder of the influential Peruvian religious movement Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, following a decade-long investigation into allegations of sexual and psychological abuse, as well as financial corruption.
The decision, authorized directly by Pope Francis, marks a significant step by the Catholic Church to address the long-standing scandal surrounding Figari and his community. Despite multiple investigations, including those led by the Vatican, the full extent of the movement’s issues had not been fully addressed until now.
The decree, issued by the Vatican’s department for religious orders and posted on the Peruvian bishops’ conference website, stated that Figari’s conduct was “incompatible and therefore unacceptable in a member of a church institution,” noting the significant harm caused to both the Church and its followers. The expulsion, the decree emphasized, was necessary to restore justice and protect the faithful.
Figari founded Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in 1971 as a lay community aimed at recruiting “soldiers for God.” The movement gained substantial influence, particularly in Peru, with approximately 20,000 members across South America and the United States at its peak.
The scandal began to unravel when victims of Figari’s abuse reported their experiences to the Lima archdiocese in 2011. However, some allegations date back as early as 2000. It wasn’t until 2015, when journalist Pedro Salinas, himself a victim, co-authored the book Half Monks, Half Soldiers with Paola Ugaz, that the twisted practices of the Sodalitium were brought to light.
An independent investigation commissioned by the Sodalitium in 2017 described Figari as “narcissistic, paranoid, demeaning, vulgar, vindictive, manipulative, racist, sexist, elitist, and obsessed with sexual issues.” The report detailed how Figari abused recruits, forcing them to engage in sexual acts and humiliating them to maintain control.
Despite the damning findings, the Vatican initially refrained from expelling Figari in 2017, instead ordering him to live separately from the Sodalitium community in Rome. At the time, Salinas criticized this as a “golden exile.”
However, on Wednesday, Salinas expressed relief at the Vatican’s decision to expel Figari, calling it “good news” and hoping it would lead to the eventual dismantling of what he described as a “mafia-like sect.”
The expulsion raises questions about the future of the Sodalitium, as religious movements are often closely tied to their founders’ vision and leadership. The group, however, sought to distance itself from Figari, stating that it had requested his expulsion as early as 2019 and was committed to a renewal process.
“Figari is the historical founder of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, but he is not a spiritual reference for our community,” said José David Correa González, the current superior of the movement. “We want to continue to work so that this gift may be at the service of the evangelizing mission of the church.”
This move by the Vatican follows another action earlier this year, when Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Piura Archbishop José Eguren, a Sodalitium member after he sued Salinas and Ugaz for their investigative reports on the Sodalitium.
Journalist Paola Ugaz described Figari’s expulsion as “paramount,” highlighting how it exposed the Peruvian church’s failure to address the victims’ complaints over the past two decades. She also noted the importance of journalism in bringing justice to the victims, expressing hope that this decision would lead to reparations for those harmed by Figari and his movement.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
