Pope Francis made a rare and significant decision on Wednesday, expelling ten individuals from the Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (Sodalitium of Christian Life) in Peru.
This follows a Vatican investigation that uncovered severe abuses within the movement, including physical, spiritual, and economic abuses, as well as abuses of power and authority. The expulsion includes a bishop, priests, and laypeople involved in these violations.
This action comes shortly after the Pope expelled the movement's founder, Luis Figari, who was found guilty of sexually abusing recruits. Figari established the group 1971 to create a community of "soldiers for God."
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At its peak, Sodalitium had about 20,000 members in South America and the U.S. and gained significant influence in Peru.
Despite victims coming forward as early as 2011, no significant action was taken until 2015, when journalists Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz exposed the group's disturbing practices in their book *Half Monks, Half Soldiers*. An independent investigation in 2017 revealed Figari's abusive behavior, which included sodomizing recruits, manipulating them, and inflicting physical and psychological pain.
The Vatican’s latest investigation found that the abuses went beyond Figari, involving other group leaders. These abuses included hacking victims’ communications and concealing their crimes. Among those expelled was Archbishop Jose Antonio Eguren, who was forced to resign earlier this year after attempting to sue journalists for exposing these abuses.
In its statement, the Vatican and the Peruvian bishops expressed their solidarity with the victims and emphasized the need for justice and reparation within the movement. This marks one of the most significant steps taken by the Vatican to address such widespread abuses within a Catholic group.
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