The Vatican made a decisive move on Wednesday by expelling the founder of the influential Peruvian religious group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, after years of minimizing allegations of abuse and financial corruption. This decision followed a thorough investigation ordered by Pope Francis last year, led by top Vatican experts on sex abuse. Despite previous unsuccessful inquiries into the group, this investigation aimed to unravel the scandal fully.

The Vatican’s decree, published on the Peruvian bishops conference website, disclosed that Pope Francis granted explicit approval for the expulsion of Luis Fernando Figari from the movement, although his alleged misconduct did not precisely fall within the scope of canon law. Figari’s actions were deemed incompatible with membership in a church institution, causing significant harm and scandal within the church community.

Founded in 1971, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae was established by Figari as a lay community to enlist individuals as “soldiers for God,” in response to the leftist liberation theology movement in Latin America. At its peak, the group boasted around 20,000 members spanning South America and the United States, exercising considerable influence in Peru.

The expulsion of Figari raises doubts about the future of Sodalitium, as such religious movements are typically closely linked to their founders. It remains uncertain whether further decisions will be made regarding the group, which holds substantial economic assets. This expulsion marks the second significant personnel action undertaken by Pope Francis following the return of Vatican abuse investigators from Peru last year.

In a separate incident, Archbishop José Eguren of Piura, a member of Sodalitium, resigned after filing lawsuits against journalists who reported on the group. The investigations also revealed allegations of forced evictions of peasants in Eguren’s diocese by a real estate developer associated with Sodalitium. Although Sodalitium has claimed cooperation with the Vatican probe and Figari maintains his innocence, the accusations detailed in the book “Half Monks, Half Soldiers” have been deemed credible by the group.