Playwright and actor
Novelist
Writer and poet
Volleyball player
Italian-Peruvian naturalist and geographer
Singer and percussionist
Last Inca emperor
Politician, former prime Minister
Journalist and TV host
Poet
Inca warrior
Actor and comedian
Biophysicist
Poet
Doctor and researcher
Businessman, Interbank group
Journalist and writer
Poet and writer
Singer and songwriter
Writer
Film director, Berlin Golden Bear winner
Football player
Writer and journalist
Doctor and scientist
Photograph
Chess player
Industrialist
Former general
Specialist in public health
Actress and singer
Afro-Peruvian music singer
Mathematician and engineer
Indigenous chronicler
Neurologist and anthropologist
Painter
Football player
National hero, military leader
Intellectual and reformer
Chef and entrepreneur
Fashion designer
Singer-songwriter
TV presenter
Marathon runner
Indigenous Peruvian chronicler
Theologian
Former national team captain
Economist and former health minister
Inca princess
Writer and television host
Folk musician
Poet and guerrilla
Former UN secretary-general
Chef, known for fusion cuisine
Football player
Peruvian aviation pioneer
Poet and artist
Marxist philosopher and writer
Industrialist and businessman
Novelist and ethnologist
Painter and muralist
Opera tenor
Fashion designer
Cardinal of Lima
Peruvian tennis player
Football coach
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Military hero
War of the Pacific hero
The youngest mother in history
Politician
Creole music singer
Tennis player
Musician
Writer and politician
Politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party
Founder of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
Archaeologist and anthropologist
Military leader and politician
Television host
Actress and singer
Contemporary sculptor
Women’s rights activist
Beauty queen
Astrophysicist
Heroine of independence
Mathematician and archaeologist
Historian and anthropologist
Military figure and historical figure
Fashion photographer
Writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Politician
Revolutionary leader
Environmental activist
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Musician from Gaia band
War hero
Military leader and politician
Chef, known for Nikkei cuisine
Volleyball coach and former player
Environmental activist
Television personality
Writer
Football player
Epidemiologist and former health Minister
Inventor and aerospace pioneer
Soldier and inventor
Rock singer
Chef and co-owner of Central restaurant
Painter
Football player
TV presenter and actress
Actor
Writer and historian
Journalist and lawyer
Archaeologist, founder of Caral site
Monk and Saint
Saint, patron of Latin America
Physicist and engineer
World champion surfer
Actress
Oncologist
Singer, Latin Grammy winner
Former mayor of Lima
Singer
Actress
Former football player
Painter
Former football player
Painter
Inca leader
Archbishop, saint
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Revolutionary indigenous leader
Diplomat and intellectual
Sculptor and painter
Political leader, founder of APRA
Lawyer and Former prime minister
Chef of Central restaurant
Former head of secret services
Popular singer
Fashion designer
Exotic music singer
Luis Fernando Figari was born on July 8, 1947, in Lima, Peru. He is known for founding the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a Catholic movement established in 1971 with the aim of promoting a Christian life centered on evangelization and community service. While Figari gained recognition within the Catholic Church for his religious and social work, his figure became controversial in recent years due to allegations of abuse and misconduct within the movement he founded.
In 1971, at the age of 24, Luis Fernando Figari founded Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in Lima, a movement within the Catholic Church aimed at training young people in the Christian faith and preparing them for apostolate work. Inspired by Marian spirituality and a commitment to evangelization, SCV quickly grew in Peru and other Latin American countries, attracting hundreds of young people. In 1997, the movement was officially recognized as a Society of Apostolic Life by the Vatican.
Under Figari’s leadership, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae expanded rapidly, establishing communities in several Latin American countries, as well as in the United States and Italy. The movement focused on evangelization, spiritual formation, and community work, with a strong emphasis on discipline and obedience. Figari became an influential figure within the Catholic Church in Peru, participating in various educational and social initiatives promoted by SCV.
Starting in the 2010s, Luis Fernando Figari and Sodalitium Christianae Vitae became embroiled in several controversies. Former members of the movement began to report psychological, physical, and sexual abuse by Figari and other SCV leaders. These allegations caused a scandal both in Peru and internationally, and in 2015, the Vatican ordered an internal investigation into the movement. As a result, Figari was removed from leadership within SCV and prohibited from any contact with the movement’s members.
In 2017, the Vatican concluded its investigation into the allegations against Luis Fernando Figari and Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. Figari was found guilty of several charges of abuse and was ordered to withdraw from public life. Despite the Vatican’s actions, criticism of SCV and the Catholic Church’s handling of the complaints continued. Figari retired to live in Italy, where he has maintained a low profile since.
Luis Fernando Figari’s legacy is deeply controversial. While some of his supporters remember him for his dedication to evangelization and for founding an influential Catholic movement, many others criticize him for the abuses committed under his leadership. Despite the downfall of his public figure, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae continues to exist as a movement within the Catholic Church, although under strict supervision by ecclesiastical authorities.
The story of Luis Fernando Figari and Sodalitium Christianae Vitae serves as an example of how an influential religious figure can move from admiration to controversy. While Figari was once a respected leader within the Catholic Church, allegations of abuse have left an indelible mark on his legacy. His case also highlights the Church’s struggles in addressing cases of abuse within its institutions and the need for greater transparency and accountability.