Flame
Emblem of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae |
|
Formation | 8 December 1971 |
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Type | Society of Apostolic Life |
Purpose | Evangelization of Culture |
Headquarters | General House, Calle Dos 545, Urb. Monterrico Norte, Lima 41, Perú |
Region served
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Worldwide |
Official language
|
English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian |
Leader | Superior General, Alessandro Moroni Llabrés |
Main organ
|
General Assembly |
Parent organization
|
Catholic Church |
Website |
Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana (español) Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (inglés) Sodalício de Vida Cristã (portugués) |
Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), or Sodalitium of Christian Life is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, according to the Code of Canon Law which governs the Latin Rite branch of the Catholic Church. It was founded in Lima, Peru, by Luis Fernando Figari on 8 December 1971. It acquired its present canonical form when Pope John Paul II gave his Pontifical approval on 8 July 1997. The Sodalitium was the first male religious society in Peru to receive papal approval. By 1997 there were Sodalit communities in several countries.
The Sodalitium is composed of consecrated laymen and priests, called "Sodalits," who live in community as brothers, live the evangelical counsels through perpetual commitments of celibacy and obedience, as well as the communication of goods.
Being recognised as a lay society of apostolic life of pontifical right, the Sodalitium is under the authority of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life of the Holy See. This is the first lay society of apostolic life to be recognised with Pontifical approval.
In 2003 there were accusations of brainwashing of young people, and of elitism, conservatism, and authoritarianism. Later there were allegations of sexual abuse by the founder Luis Fernando Figari. There were also detailed allegations about the founder's extreme right-wing and phalangist activism in his youth. Following an investigation, on 30 January 2017, the Vatican's 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.”.