Pope Francis dissolves South American Catholic group mired in scandal


  • World
  • Tuesday, 21 Jan 2025

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis leads the Vespers and Te Deum prayer in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has dissolved a Catholic religious community with members across South America and the United States, following years of investigations into alleged sexual and psychological abuse by the group's founder and others.

The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, based in Peru and once numbering some 20,000 members, confirmed its dissolution in a statement on Monday, without offering an explanation. The Vatican did not immediately provide further details.It is rare for the pope to dissolve a Catholic religious community, even one mired in scandal.

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