Luis Fernando Figari

Luis Fernando Figari Rodrigo (born 8 July 1947) is a Peruvian Catholic layman, the founder and former superior general of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. He also founded the Christian Life Movement and several other religious associations. He has been the object of allegations of physical, psychological and sexual abuse of young men, some of whom were minors. On 30 January 2017, following an investigations of these claims, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ordered that Figari be "prohibited from contacting, in any way, persons belonging to the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, and no way have any direct personal contact with them."

Luis Fernando Figari was born in Lima, Peru, on 8 July 1947. His parents were Don Alberto Figari (1902–1990) and Mrs. Blanca Figari (1909–1995), both Peruvian. He was born in a Catholic family, and was the last of four children. He studied in the Immaculate Heart of Mary School until he was 10 years of age and then in Holy Mary High School at Lima. He studied humanities and law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and then law in the National University of San Marcos, in Lima. During this time, he became a leader of the National Confederation of Youths, the youth branch of the Odriíst National Union, the political movement of former president Manuel A. Odría. When he was 19 years old he was elected to represent all the university students from Lima, giving the welcoming speech to U.S. presidential candidate Robert Kennedy during his visit to Peru. He began studying theology in the Pontifical and Civil School of Theology of Lima, where he also taught in 1975.

He founded the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in 1971. He called that moment "baptism of a search". Cardinal Landazuri, the Archbishop of Lima, began meeting with Figari in 1972, following closely the development of the Sodalitium and expressing his support. In 1974, Figari founded the Immaculate Mary Association for women. In 1984 Figari participated in the first World Youth's Day at Rome, pronouncing the “Catechesis on Love”, in Saint Paul Outside the Walls Basilica. One year later, in 1985, he founded the Christian Life Movement (CLM), an ecclesial movement. In 1991, he founded the Marian Community of Reconciliation, a religious association for lay consecrated women. In 1994, Christian Life Movement was recognized by the Vatican as an International Lay Association of Faithful of pontifical right. In 1995, he founded the Confraternity of Our Lady of Reconciliation. In 1997, Sodalitium was approved by Pope John Paul II as a Society of Apostolic Life for laymen and priests. One year later, in 1998, Figari founded another religious association for consecrated women, the Servants of the Plan of God.

...
Wikipedia