One of the biggest scandals in the history of the Church. Pope Leo XIV spoke out

In a speech delivered in the chapel of the Archbishop's Palace in Lima, the Pope appealed to bishops for cooperation with the faithful. Let everyone, in accordance with their vocation, live in an atmosphere of mutual trust, so that power is not exercised tyrannically and obedience is not reduced to simple servility, he said.

He referred to the sexual abuse scandal that was revealed in the Church in Peru, saying: - Let me refer to the reality that has caused us so much suffering: abuse committed by members of the clergy or in the ecclesial environment.

We must respond to them as Jesus would: with truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and an increasingly determined commitment to a culture of prevention and protection of the weakest against these crimes, said Leo XIV, who, as Bishop of Chiclayo, was vice-president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference from 2018-2023.

One of the biggest scandals that occurred in Peru is the wave of abuses revealed in the Catholic organization called the Sodality of Christian Life. It was founded in 1971 in Lima by the lay theologian Luis Fernando Figari and gained great political and financial influence.

The media previously emphasized that this is one of the largest scandals in the history of the Church in all of South America and concerns systemic violence, many years of sexual, mental and physical abuse and financial embezzlement.

It came to light that Figari and other Sodality leaders had sexually abused minors and young recruits. Humiliating physical punishment and sadistic methods of preparing for membership in the community were also used.

As a result of the Vatican investigation, Pope Francis dissolved the organization in early 2025.

For many years, victims accused the church authorities in Peru of inaction, and only the intervention of the Holy See led to categorical decisions.