The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV) apostolic society has declared its founder, Luis Fernando Figari, guilty of sexual abuse against minors.
Five months after Pedro Salinas’s book “Half Monks, Half Soldiers” published allegations of widespread psychological and sexual abuse from former members in the conservative society, SCV superior general Alessandro Moroni released a video statement saying his organization had initiated Figari’s removal.
“After hearing the witness accounts, we find Luis Figari guilty of the alleged abuses,” Moroni said. “And we declare him a persona non-grata in our organization which completely deplores and condemns his behavior.”
Moroni added that he had personally met with Pope Francis in December to request the removal of Figari from the SCV society. Moroni also apologized to Figari’s victims and to other members of SCV scandalized by the charges.
“We recognize the sin of not reacting immediately,” Moroni said. “We are sure that by the grace of God, our great family will survive and move forward beyond the errors of its leaders, who from now on have decided to start anew.”
Figari founded the SCV society in Peru in 1971. Officially recognized by Pope John Paul II in 1997, “Sodalicio” has since grown to become one of the world’s larger conservative Catholic societies, similar to Opus Dei, with active societies in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Italy and the United States.
