(OSV News) — The Vatican’s decision to expel 10 key members of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a scandal-ridden apostolic life society founded in Peru in 1971, has surprised and sometimes shocked many in Peru.
The Socialist Party, once a powerful Catholic institution that brought together Peru’s elite, has been plagued by dozens of accusations from former members and journalists of sexual and psychological abuse, physical violence, misappropriation of funds and other crimes.
The Vatican’s investigation into the organization included a 2023 mission to Peru, led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and Monsignor of Spain, part-time secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Jordi Bertomeu is also a member of the department. During their trip they collected documents and interviewed SCV members, alleged victims and journalists.
The investigation revealed that Sodalitium founder Luis Fernando Figari was expelled from the organization in August. For some, the SCV expulsion list (based on a list released on September 25) is a response to the many survivors of abuse waiting for justice.
“We are used to thinking of sodium and lithium as an untouchable organization, one that can do whatever it wants and nothing will happen to it. That’s why this list surprises many people,” journalist Paola Ugaz Ugaz) told OSV News. She has co-authored a book on sodium lithium and published several investigative articles about it.
This is the case in Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city, where SCV houses the Universidad Católica de San Pablo. Two names on the list have direct ties to the agency. Miguel Salazar is the university’s vice-president for humanities and culture, and Father Rafael Ismodes is the school’s chaplain.
“The news triggered a magnitude 10 earthquake in the city, leading the university to issue a statement saying it faced a ‘challenging moment’ rather than admitting its fault,” Ugazi said.
A note signed by rector Alonso Quintanilla Pérez-Vicht said both the university’s governing body and the two expelled members of the Sodium Party believed the best course of action would be to remove them from the school. Removed.
“In this challenging time, I invite you to stand united: We are an academic community and we should do good no matter what the odds,” Perez-Vicht said in a statement.
The Vatican list also includes two other priests, Fr Erwin Schuch and Fr Daniel Cardo, as well as Piura’s emeritus archbishop José Antonio Egueren. The other expelled members were laymen: former SCV generals Eduardo Regal, Humberto del Castillo, Oscar Demura, Ricardo Tremain and Alejandro Bay. Mulders.
The Archdiocese of Denver, where many Sodalitium members live in community houses at Holy Name Catholic Parish, also responded.
In a statement released on Sept. 25, the archdiocese declared it was “shocked and saddened” by the expulsion, noting that Father Caddo had been a priest in Colorado for 17 years and had not faced “a single disciplinary action against him.” The note also said that “the once-dead Holy Name Parish community in Sheridan is now thriving” because of Father Caddo’s work. The Denver Archdiocese’s statement concluded by saying that former superior Regal and reporter Bermudez “served faithfully and brilliantly” there.
Bermudez was the long-time executive director of the ACI Group, part of the Catholic News Agency (CNA) and the EWTN family, until his retirement on December 31, 2022. The Vatican document mentions that reasons for expulsion include physical abuse “including sadism and sadism”. Violence,” tactics “to break the will of subordinates,” psychological abuse, abuse of power, including covering up crimes, and misuse of the management of church objects, one case described as: “Abuse in the work of journalism. “
OSV News asked the Peruvian embassy in Peru, which published the document on the expulsions on September 25, about the definition of press abuse charges, and is currently awaiting a response.
Bermudez is the only person named in Vatican documents as “el periodista” (Spanish for “journalist”) by his profession.
OSV News reached out to Bermudez for comment, but he declined to be interviewed via email, instead referring OSV News to a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which he commented on his firing. In an email to OSV News, he said: “As I explained in my X account, as a journalist I will not answer questions, if any, I will ask them.”
“The allegation against me is that I ‘abused my journalistic apostleship,'” Bermudez said in a Sept. 28 post. “My comments on Twitter/ Certain individuals or institutions have caused scandals in the church,” he wrote.
Investigative journalist Ugaz noted that she spoke with people from Bermudez who “had been abused in their journalism jobs.” “He was notorious for insulting subordinates, especially women. Peruvian culture is known for misogyny and mistreatment of women is common in journalism,” she said. “This punishment shows that this behavior is bad,” Ugaz said.
A former CNA employee who spoke on condition of anonymity told OSV News, “You could often hear Alejandro yelling and verbally berating the editor.”
CNA staff were unable to hear the specific content, but said editors often “put themselves as a shock absorber between Alejandro and the writers,” absorbing the “tons of invective” that Bermudez displayed. Meet his editorial requirements. In some cases, the writer was directly abused by Bermudez, including “derogatory words written in messages and emails,” as well as occasional in-person verbal attacks, former CNA employees said.
“All I know is this: My community has been investigated. I say ‘my community’ because I will never stop being a Sodalit,” Bermudez wrote in his social media post. explain. “God has called me to this vocation and I will die as a Sodalit. I am morally convinced that God has called me to this vocation. Despite these accusations, I still dedicate myself before God and I will continue Committed to this apostolate.” Bermudez also criticized the investigation into Archbishop Chicluna and Msgr. Bertomeu.
“What contribution can two sex abuse experts make to the investigation into alleged financial corruption at Sully?” he asked.
However, Ugazi believes that the expulsion shows that Archbishop Scicluna and Msgr. Bertomeu has been “listening to the voices of victims and whistleblowers with professionalism and focus.”
In his X post, Bermudez also accused several reporters who “work for competing publications” or “have different views than me on church issues” from filing “canonical” complaints against him. One of them is Pedro Salinas.
Salinas, a former SCV member and Peruvian investigative journalist who co-authored a book with Ugaz, has been a leading condemner of the group’s crimes. He told OSV News that the “list” of deportees was “very important, that’s why it was deported”. Many in Peru are relieved. “
“Almost all of this is in my book, which investigators reviewed,” he said.
Salinas stressed that this measure shows that Pope Francis is forging a path towards justice and reparations. Like many other detractors, he hopes the investigation will lead to tougher measures against the Sodalite’s former leaders and the organization as a whole.
However, for some abuse survivors, justice will only be served when the SCV “abuser” is brought to civil authorities.
“For me, the actions taken against those SCV members did not have an impact. They were expelled but can walk freely on the streets,” said José En, the first Sodalitium member to denounce the group’s abuses 24 years ago. José Enrique Escardó told OSV News.
Escado described the Vatican’s decision as “designed to create a media impact and give the impression that action is being taken.”
“The priests who were sanctioned, as well as Archbishop Egurun, did not lose their clerical status and were not condemned by the judicial (system). In my opinion, this is an irresponsible act,” he said.
Escado said the church’s message seems to be “once you take out the bad apples, sodium and lithium are fine.”
Ugazi sees this as the beginning of justice, bringing relief to survivors and whistleblowers like herself.
“In order to change the history of impunity, it is necessary for people from other countries to come to Peru. We are not happy with their expulsion because it was a tragic history. But justice is becoming real,” she said.
