The bishops of Peru have announced on 14 August 14 the expulsion of the layman Luis Fernando Figari Rodrigo, 77, from the Sodalitium, a 'conservative' movement which he founded in 1971.
The decree was signed by the Secretary and Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Religious. Apart from the expulsion, no other ecclesiastical sanctions were imposed because Figari is not a cleric.
The Sodalitium has about 40 priests, 300 consecrated and 40,000 lay members. It was recognised by the Vatican as a Society of Apostolic Life in 1997 and had the facade of a doctrinally 'conservative' group fighting against liberation theology.
Figari left the community's leadership in 2012 when the Peruvian Alessandro Moroni Llabres was elected Superior General. Francis deposed him in 2018 and placed the Sodalitium under provisional leadership.
Figari has been publicly accused of "abuse" since 2015. Rumors speak of homosexual abuse, including minors.
On July 25, 2023, the Vatican opened an investigation against …More