After years of investigations and allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse, financial mismanagement, and a Vatican investigation, Pope Francis has officially dissolved the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a conservative Catholic lay group founded in 1971. Victims welcomed the decision, praising Francis and the Vatican investigators for their role in bringing about the dissolution.
Pope Francis has officially dissolved the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae ( SCV ), a conservative Catholic lay group founded in 1971, following years of allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse , financial mismanagement , and a Vatican investigation. The dissolution was confirmed on Monday by Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, Francis' top legal adviser, who conveyed the decision to an assembly of SCV members in Aparecida, Brazil.
The group acknowledged the dissolution in a statement, lamenting that news of Francis' decision had been leaked by two members expelled from the assembly. While confirming the dissolution, the statement asserted that reports contained inaccuracies but did not specify what they were. The Vatican has declined to comment on the matter. The dissolution marks the end of a long and troubled period for the SCV, which was once a prominent force in Latin America, boasting around 20,000 members at its peak. However, numerous allegations of abuse dating back to 2000 emerged, eventually leading to a 2017 internal report that confirmed the founder, Luis Fernando Figari, had engaged in sodomy with recruits and subjected them to other forms of abuse. Following attempts at internal reform, Pope Francis sent his trusted investigators, Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, to probe the SCV's practices. Their report uncovered a range of abuses, including sadistic power dynamics, financial improprieties, and harassment of critics. The SCV had gained a significant foothold in the US, particularly in Colorado, where the Archdiocese of Denver entrusted it with a parish. Despite the expulsion, Cardó remains a member of the Catholic Church and serves as the pastor of Holy Name Catholic Church in Sheridan. Victims like Pedro Salinas, who long campaigned for the SCV's suppression, hailed the decision as “extraordinary” albeit delayed. He praised the Vatican investigators and the new prefect of the Vatican's office for religious orders, Sister Simona Brambilla, for their roles in bringing about the dissolution. Salinas also acknowledged the crucial role played by Pope Francis in holding the SCV accountable. The fate of the SCV's assets remains unclear. Victims hope they will be used to compensate for the trauma they endured. According to canon law, only the Holy See can suppress an institute like the SCV, with decisions regarding its temporal goods also reserved to the Apostolic See. Renzo Orbegozo, a victim who belonged to the SCV from 1995-2008, expressed relief at the group's dissolution and hoped its remaining members would recognize the deception they had been living with.
Vatican Pope Francis Sodalitium Christianae Vitae SCV Dissolution Sexual Abuse Spiritual Abuse Financial Mismanagement
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