Pope Francis Accepts the Early Resignation of Archbishop José Eguren Anselmi Connected to Sodalitium Christinae Vitae in Peru
A Vatican news bulletin from April 2nd, indicates that Archbishop José Antonio Eguren Anselmi of Piura, age 67, member of the Sodalitium Christinae Vitae (SCV), has resigned from the leadership of his diocese in Peru. This is while there is an ongoing Vatican investigation into the SCV, a society of apostolic life founded by Peruvian layman Luis Fernando Figari in the 1970s.
Scandals involving the SCV came to light in 2015, when Peruvian journalists Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz published a book entitled Half Monks, Half Soldiers detailing years of alleged sexual, physical and psychological abuse by top members of the SCV. Figari himself was accused of abuse; In 2017 he was sanctioned by the Vatican and prohibited from having contact with members of the group, and, after losing two appeals, he is now living in exile.
Pope Francis asked that a formal inquiry into the SCV be launched and called on two investigators, Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Spanish Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, to oversee the procedure. Scicluna and Bertomeu traveled to Peru in late July-early August 2023 and they met with SCV victims and leadership, including others involved in the case, also Eguren.
In 2018, Archbishop Eguren presented journalists Salinas and Ugaz with criminal defamation suits related to their reporting, specifically citing investigative reports in which they named him as complicit in the SCV’s abuses and coverup. Pope Francis met Eguren, who had led the Archdiocese of Piura since 2006, in a private audience at the Vatican in September 2018. A year later, shortly after winning his case against Salinas, Eguren retracted his complaints against both journalists due to public, media, and ecclesial complaints, including a statement from the Peruvian bishops condemning his actions and in which they claimed to have the pope’s support.
What is the Sodalitium?
The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae is a Society of Apostolic Life made up of laymen and priests who live in community as brothers, and have fully given their lives to God, proclaiming the Gospel in the diverse circumstances of human life.
It is a community within the Church that was born in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, embracing the guidelines presented in the major Church documents of the time. The Sodalitium Christiane Vitae was Pontifically approved by St. John Paul II in 1997.
History of the Sodalitium
The roots of the journey in Faith of the Sodalitium stretch back to the end of the 60s, a time of crisis and many problems during which the basic structures of society where subject to critique and turmoil. This was, however, also a time of great expectations. The Church had just concluded the Second Vatican Council and, together with the wealth and renovation that this intense ecclesial experience communicated, the first signs of a serious crisis among the People of God -through no fault of Council itself- began to show.
This great gift of the Council also took expression in Latin America through the second Conference of Latin American Bishops in Medellin, 1968. This conference had a profound impact on the life of the Church in this southern continent and opened new horizons for ecclesial participation.
In light of these and other events, a search for answers marked the genesis of the Sodalitium. The founder, Luis Fernando Figari, began this search with a sense of dissatisfaction from the situation in the world, especially the injustice that burdened the poor and needy in Peru and Latin America, and with a desire to change this situation to forge a society where every person may live in freedom, according to their dignity as human beings. After looking to politics for answers, Luis Fernando began to believe that man’s problems have always been fundamentally religious at their roots.
Thus, in Luis Fernando’s journey of conversion and faith, he began to take more concrete strides to fulfill his calling, and, on December 8th, 1971, he founded the Sodalitum Christanae Vitae. The original intention of this fundamental step was to respond to the motions of the Holy Spirit who was leading laymen to respond to the universal call to holiness and take on a more active role in the apostolic mission.
During the years after 1971, the community added members that were formed, matured and strove to live out the consequences of their baptism in their daily lives experiencing a clear apostolic vocation. The initial intuitions of the founder also grew and developed into several retreat programs, spiritual exercises and experiences of fraternal life. Slowly, a community of consecrated laymen, priests and lay people called to married life, all committed to the apostolate of the Church, began taking shape.
This process of maturation occurred in communion with and under the supervision of several Bishops. Cardinal Juan Landázuri Ricketts, O.F.M., then archbishop of Lima and the primate of Peru, encouraged the young community and in 1977 approved the Sodalitium as a “pious society.”
There were many influences in the development of the Sodalitium’s spirituality: Bl. William Joseph Chaminade and the school of French spirituality, St. Ignatius of Loyola and other important proponents of the Spanish Reformation, the Cistercians and the Fathers of the Church. These various influences made rich contributions in the creation of a new spirituality impregnated by the experience of daily life.
With the years, the number of Sodalit apostolic initiatives grew. A dynamic style of apostolic work developed, attentive to the signs of the times and to the characteristics of the contemporary society. This apostolic work found an enthusiastic response in young people. The apostolic style of work is born from an experience of the Faith situated in a concrete context, but open to a universal dimension.
At this time, a faithful adherence to the social teachings of the Church led members of the Sodalitium to be truly committed to the poor, to respond to their situation in accordance with the Gospel. The Sodalitium, aware of various problems in the modern world (the rupture between daily life and faith and the threats from secularism and ideologies such as Marxism and liberalism) and seeing the importance of culture in people’s personal lives and society, committed itself to the evangelization of culture .
Under the influence of the Holy Spirit and accompanied by priests and bishops, the Sodalitium grew and matured and spread from Peru to several countries in the Americas and Europe.
In 1994, the Archbishop of Lima, Cardenal Augusto Vargas Alzamora S.J, gave the Sodalitium its approval as a diocesan Society of Apostolic Life. Three years later, on July 8th of 1997, St. John Paul II approved the society as a pontifical Society of Apostolic Life.
FULL TEXT Statement by Archbishop of Piura - José Eguren Anselmi
Today, the Press Office of the Holy See has made public that the Holy
Father, Pope Francis, has accepted my resignation from the pastoral government of the Archdiocese
from Piura. As stated by S.S. Benedict XVI, “loving the Church also means having
the courage to make difficult, long-suffering decisions, always keeping the good of the community in mind.
Church and not of ourselves.”
I thank God, One and Triune, for the opportunity he has granted me to
serve my brothers in faith in this beloved portion of the universal Church. Wanna
express my gratitude to the Successors of Saint Peter who trusted me, to whom I always
I strove to serve with filial affection and obedience. Also, I want to express my
gratitude to the priests, consecrated men and women, and faithful lay Christians, who
have accompanied us on this mission. Your friendship, support, and evangelizing zeal have been for
me a permanent source of inspiration, encouragement, and strength as a Pastor.
At all times I have tried to fulfill the mission that was entrusted to me, with justice, honesty and in fidelity to the teachings of the Church, caring especially for the good of the poorest and most needy. In the heart of my home Christian and from my Sodalitium Christianae Vitae community, I learned that there is always than to love the Church and make her loved.
I am deeply overwhelmed by the affection received from all of you in these almost
eighteen years of episcopacy in Piura and Tumbes. There are countless memories that
They fill my heart with joy, and they will accompany me forever, just as they are.
countless testimonies and teachings of love for Jesus, Mary, and brothers,
that I have received from the holy and faithful People of God, especially in the difficult moments that
We had to live and face together, such as, among others, the devastating Phenomena
of the Child of 2017 and 2023, the tragic Covid-19 Pandemic, and the Dengue epidemic
2023. In them the immense faith and charity of the Church that is pilgrim was revealed
for Piura and Tumbes, which decided to help the thousands of brothers
injured and sick.
My commitment to ecclesial service remains unchanged in the face of new challenges
that are presented for the Church of these times. They will always find a shepherd in me
who will strive to be faithful to the Lord Jesus and the Successor of Saint Peter. I ask for your prayers
for the new challenges that I will have from now on. Likewise, I request everyone to,
Starting today, toast Monsignor Guillermo Elías Millares, Apostolic Administrator
from the Archdiocese of Piura, all the necessary support.
Rest assured that I permanently commend you in my prayers to
Our Lady of Mercedes and San Miguel Arcángel, our patron saints.
Wishing you a Happy Easter, blesses you with sincere affection, and asks for your prayers
for Pope Francis.
San Miguel de Piura, April 2, 2024
Tuesday of the Octave of Easter
JOSÉ ANTONIO EGUREN ANSELMI, S.C.V.
Archbishop Emeritus of Piura
What is the Sodalitium?
The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae is a Society of Apostolic Life made up of laymen and priests who live in community as brothers, and have fully given their lives to God, proclaiming the Gospel in the diverse circumstances of human life.
It is a community within the Church that was born in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, embracing the guidelines presented in the major Church documents of the time. The Sodalitium Christiane Vitae was Pontifically approved by St. John Paul II in 1997.
History of the Sodalitium
The roots of the journey in Faith of the Sodalitium stretch back to the end of the 60s, a time of crisis and many problems during which the basic structures of society where subject to critique and turmoil. This was, however, also a time of great expectations. The Church had just concluded the Second Vatican Council and, together with the wealth and renovation that this intense ecclesial experience communicated, the first signs of a serious crisis among the People of God -through no fault of Council itself- began to show.
This great gift of the Council also took expression in Latin America through the second Conference of Latin American Bishops in Medellin, 1968. This conference had a profound impact on the life of the Church in this southern continent and opened new horizons for ecclesial participation.
In light of these and other events, a search for answers marked the genesis of the Sodalitium. The founder, Luis Fernando Figari, began this search with a sense of dissatisfaction from the situation in the world, especially the injustice that burdened the poor and needy in Peru and Latin America, and with a desire to change this situation to forge a society where every person may live in freedom, according to their dignity as human beings. After looking to politics for answers, Luis Fernando began to believe that man’s problems have always been fundamentally religious at their roots.
Thus, in Luis Fernando’s journey of conversion and faith, he began to take more concrete strides to fulfill his calling, and, on December 8th, 1971, he founded the Sodalitum Christanae Vitae. The original intention of this fundamental step was to respond to the motions of the Holy Spirit who was leading laymen to respond to the universal call to holiness and take on a more active role in the apostolic mission.
During the years after 1971, the community added members that were formed, matured and strove to live out the consequences of their baptism in their daily lives experiencing a clear apostolic vocation. The initial intuitions of the founder also grew and developed into several retreat programs, spiritual exercises and experiences of fraternal life. Slowly, a community of consecrated laymen, priests and lay people called to married life, all committed to the apostolate of the Church, began taking shape.
This process of maturation occurred in communion with and under the supervision of several Bishops. Cardinal Juan Landázuri Ricketts, O.F.M., then archbishop of Lima and the primate of Peru, encouraged the young community and in 1977 approved the Sodalitium as a “pious society.”
There were many influences in the development of the Sodalitium’s spirituality: Bl. William Joseph Chaminade and the school of French spirituality, St. Ignatius of Loyola and other important proponents of the Spanish Reformation, the Cistercians and the Fathers of the Church. These various influences made rich contributions in the creation of a new spirituality impregnated by the experience of daily life.
With the years, the number of Sodalit apostolic initiatives grew. A dynamic style of apostolic work developed, attentive to the signs of the times and to the characteristics of the contemporary society. This apostolic work found an enthusiastic response in young people. The apostolic style of work is born from an experience of the Faith situated in a concrete context, but open to a universal dimension.
At this time, a faithful adherence to the social teachings of the Church led members of the Sodalitium to be truly committed to the poor, to respond to their situation in accordance with the Gospel. The Sodalitium, aware of various problems in the modern world (the rupture between daily life and faith and the threats from secularism and ideologies such as Marxism and liberalism) and seeing the importance of culture in people’s personal lives and society, committed itself to the evangelization of culture .
Under the influence of the Holy Spirit and accompanied by priests and bishops, the Sodalitium grew and matured and spread from Peru to several countries in the Americas and Europe.
In 1994, the Archbishop of Lima, Cardenal Augusto Vargas Alzamora S.J, gave the Sodalitium its approval as a diocesan Society of Apostolic Life. Three years later, on July 8th of 1997, St. John Paul II approved the society as a pontifical Society of Apostolic Life.
Sources: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2024/04/02/0268/00561.html#URGENTE Comunicado de la Presidencia de la Conferencia Episcopal Peruana y el Arzobispo Metropolitano de Lima ante la decisión de la Jueza del Primer Juzgado Unipersonal Penal de Piura, por el caso de un periodista que ha buscado esclarecer la verdad sobre el Sodalitium. pic.twitter.com/3RJmcXV0b7
— Conferencia Episcopal Peruana (@conf_episcopal) April 10, 2019
https://sodalitium.org/history-of-the-sodalitium/
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