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In October 2010, Mr. Luis Fernando Figari expressed his intention to step down from the leadership of the SCV. On December 21st, 2010, Mr. Figari submitted his letter of resignation to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA). In response to his resignation, the process outlined in the Constitutions of the Sodalitium was followed, and the Vicar General assumed leadership and convened the Extraordinary General Assembly.
On January 25th, 2011, an Extraordinary General Assembly was held in Lima, during which Eduardo Regal was elected as the new Superior General.
In 2011, during the leadership of Eduardo Regal, several allegations were filed against Mr. Figari with the Interdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Lima, as follows:
1st Allegation: On May 16th, 2011, the Tribunal received the complaint and forwarded it to the CIVCSVA on May 24th of the same year.
2nd Allegation: On May 24th, 2011, the Archdiocese of Cologne (Köln, Germany) received the complaint and referred it to the Tribunal in Lima. The Tribunal forwarded the complaint to the CIVCSVA on September 9th, 2011.
3rd Allegation: On September 13th, 2011, the Tribunal received the complaint and forwarded it to the CIVCSVA on October 10th, 2011.
Upon learning through press reports that these allegations had been filed, on June 22nd, 2011, Superior General Eduardo Regal wrote to the President of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Lima, Fr. Víctor Huapaya, to inquire about the matter. On July 1st, the Tribunal replied that the Sodalitium had no jurisdiction in the case and stated that pertinent communications would be provided when appropriate.
In 2012, a member of the Sodalitium submitted certain allegations to the Superior General. These were later resubmitted in 2013 to the new Superior General and, finally, on October 25th, 2013, presented to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Lima. On December 2nd, 2013, the Tribunal forwarded them to the CIVCSVA.
From November 27th to December 7th, 2012, the 4th General Assembly of the SCV was held. On December 3rd, 2012, the Assembly elected Alessandro Moroni as Superior General.
In 2014, Alessandro Moroni became aware of several accusations (distinct from those submitted to the Tribunal of Lima, as those who shared their testimonies stated they were recounting these events for the first time). With the consent of the CIVCSVA, on August 30th, 2014, he imposed disciplinary measures on Mr. Figari, which were communicated to him on September 9th, 2014.
In September 2014, during a visit to the CIVCSVA, the Superior General was informed that a file had been opened against Mr. Figari. However, no names, contents, or further details regarding the accusations were provided.
In April 2015, the CIVCSVA appointed Monsignor Fortunato Pablo Urcey, O.A.R. (Prelate Bishop of Chota, Peru, and at the time Secretary General of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference), as Apostolic Visitor to investigate the allegations against Mr. Figari.
In October 2015, various publications appeared in Peru—across newspapers, television, and the book “Half Monks, Half Soldiers”—which included 30 testimonies (27 of them under pseudonyms) detailing different types of abuse, some of which were committed by Mr. Figari.
On October 29th, 2015, the Superior General formally requested that the CIVCSVA impose a measure requiring Mr. Figari to live away from any Sodalitium community for an indefinite period. This request was reiterated on March 18th, 2016.
On March 31st, 2016, the Superior General sent to the CIVCSVA the testimonies he had received denouncing acts of abuse committed by Mr. Figari against several sodalites.
In response to the allegations, the Sodalitium developed an action plan whose first step was the creation of an Ethics Commission for Justice and Reconciliation, tasked with welcoming individuals who wished to share their testimonies about their experiences within the Sodalitium.
To continue that work, in 2016 the Sodalitium hired three international experts: Ian Elliott (to organize and launch the listening, support, and reparation program), Monica Applewhite (to guide prevention programs), and Kathleen McChesney (to conduct in-depth investigations into the abuses).
In May 2016, the CIVCSVA appointed the now Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., as Delegate to accompany and guide the leadership of the Sodalitium, which at the time was addressing the published allegations against Mr. Figari.
Disciplinary Measures Imposed by the Holy See on Luis Fernando Figari
On January 30th, 2017, in a letter addressed to the Superior General, the CIVCSVA ordered that the following disciplinary measures be imposed on Luis Fernando Figari:
1. He is not to be expelled from the Sodalitium.
2. He must be permanently assigned to a residence where no Sodalitium community is present.
3. He must not return to Peru, except for very serious reasons and always with written permission.
4. He is prohibited from contacting, in any form, persons belonging to the Sodalitium.
5. A member of the Sodalitium is assigned the task of serving as the communication channel with Mr. Figari.
6. He is prohibited from giving statements to the press and from participating in any public event.
Luis Fernando Figari appealed to the Apostolic Signatura, which rejected the appeals on two occasions (January 31st and October 2nd, 2018). The disciplinary measures could not be enforced during the appeal process.
On February 13th, 2017, the Superior General issued a message presenting the conclusions of a Report prepared by international experts, which included the identification of five lay individuals responsible for the sexual abuse of minors throughout the history of the Sodalitium. Among them was Mr. Figari, identified as the perpetrator of abuse against one minor and several adults.
On February 17th, 2017, the Superior General of the Sodalitium (Alessandro Moroni) submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Peru all the information gathered in the Sodalitium’s internal investigation (carried out by international experts) regarding the cases of sexual abuse of minors identified within the community, and reaffirmed the institution’s full cooperation with civil investigations.
On March 15th, 2017, the 43rd Provincial Prosecutor’s Office closed the investigation based on the documentation provided by the Sodalitium, as the events—having occurred decades earlier—were found to be statute-barred.
On May 25th, 2018, the CIVCSVA, through the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, issued a statement regarding the situation of Luis Fernando Figari, emphasizing that he has no restriction preventing him from returning to Peru should the authorities require his presence to respond to justice. The CIVCSVA reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of the most vulnerable and confirmed its continued attention to the case, seeking to cooperate with justice and truth.
On January 22nd, 2019, the 5th General Assembly of the Sodalitium elected José David Correa González as Superior General. During that Assembly, a majority vote approved a resolution for the new Superior General to evaluate the appropriateness of initiating the canonical process for the expulsion of Mr. Figari.
On February 5th, 2019, the Superior General issued a Decree applying the disciplinary measures for Luis Fernando Figari as requested by the CIVCSVA. On April 8th, 2019, he was assigned to live in Italy, far from Rome.
On May 2nd, 2019, the Superior General informed the Superior Council that, in response to the request of the 5th General Assembly of the Sodalitium, he had decided to study how to initiate an expulsion process for Luis Fernando Figari.
On December 7th, 2019, the Superior General requested the consent of the members of the Superior Council to formally present the expulsion of Mr. Figari. Through a secret vote, the decision was unanimous in favor. On December 13th, 2019, a letter was submitted to the CIVCSVA requesting the expulsion of Mr. Figari.
On April 23rd, 2024, the Superior General, accompanied by the Vicar General, visited Mr. Figari and, at the request of the Special Mission, conveyed the information related to the new accusations presented against him.
On June 18th, 2024, through his lawyer, Luis Fernando Figari submitted a written defense to the Scicluna-Bertomeu Special Mission.
On August 14th, 2024, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference announced, through an official statement, the Decree of Expulsion of Luis Fernando Figari from the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The decree was issued by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA), by express delegation of the Holy Father. This expulsion took place within the framework of the work carried out by the Special Mission.
