Sodalits, Church and Society

Sodality of Christian Life Layman Caught with 11-Year Old Boy / Sodalicio pedofilo capturado

2008-08-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

In July of 2007, Daniel Bernardo Beltrán Murguía Ward, a 42 year-old layman of the Sodality of Christian Life, was caught by the police in a hostel in the city centre of Lima with an 11 year-old boy, whom he paid 20 soles ($7) for sexual activities. He was also caught with child pornography, which featured two other boys. The accused had given the false name Samuel Bernardo Mujica Brown to the police and has denied the charges against him, despite the evidence. He has hired the help of José Pflucker, an attorney from the show of known TV personality Laura Bozzo.

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Fuente: Peru 21

Capturaron a pedófilo cuando fotografiaba a menor de 11 años
Efectivos de la comisaría de Alfonso Ugarte hallaron fotos de otros dos niños en poder del sujeto. Se investiga su relación con alguna red internacional de pederastas.

Efectivos de la comisaría de Alfonso Ugarte hallaron fotos de otros dos niños en poder del sujeto. Se investiga su relación con alguna red internacional de pederastas.

Agentes de la comisaría de Alfonso Ugarte detuvieron a Daniel Bernardo Beltrán Murguía Ward, alias el italiano, en el preciso momento en que le tomaba fotografías a un menor de 11 años.

Según información llegada a nuestra redacción, el execrable hecho ocurrió el último sábado en una de las habitaciones del hostal Las Palmeras, ubicado en el jirón Carabaya 1017, Cercado de Lima.

El niño agraviado señaló a la Policía que conoció al depravado en Miraflores y que le ofreció figuritas de Pokemón a cambio de dejarse fotografiar sus partes íntimas. Asimismo, denunció que su agresor le practicó sexo oral.

Murguía Ward negó las acusaciones. Sin embargo, los agentes del orden le incautaron

una cámara fotográfica y comprobaron que también captó imágenes de otros dos niños.

El detenido también era conocido como Samuel Bernardo Mujica Brown -una identidad falsa-, y fue puesto a disposición de la fiscalía de turno. Se investiga si pertenece a una red internacional de pornografía infantil.

PERTENECIÓ A SODALICIO.

Se supo que Beltrán Murguía perteneció al Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, comunidad religiosa que decidió expulsarlo inmediatamente al tomar conocimiento del execrable hecho.

"Como consecuencia de esta situación, hasta ahora totalmente desconocida para nosotros, que consideramos completamente inaceptable, y que ha sorprendido y golpeado dolorosamente a toda nuestra comunidad, habiendo examinado la seriedad de la denuncia, queremos comunicar que el Sr. Murguía ha sido inmediatamente expulsado de nuestra institución", señala un comunicado remitido a los medios de comunicación.

Según la página de dicha comunidad, el Sodalicio está integrado por laicos y sacerdotes "que tras un proceso de discernimiento han reconocido en sus vidas la vocación a consagrarse plenamente a Dios".

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Fuente: Terra.com.pe

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Youtube:

Caretas Nro. 2030 - El Otro Cachete

2008-07-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

El obispo de Ayaviri, Kay Martin Schmalhauen Panizo, extendió la rama de olivo en última Carta Pastoral. “Queda vivo el testimonio de sus obispos Luciano Metzinger, Luis Dalle, Francisco D´Alteroche y Juan Godayol”, reza el documento. La Prelatura de Ayaviri celebra 50 años de creada el mes próximo. El nombramiento de Schmalhauen Panizo, de la conservadora Orden Sodalicio, el año pasado remeció la estructura de la Iglesia Sur Andina, eminentemente progresista (CARETAS 1960). Los prelados expulsados se han atrincherado en el Instituto del Sur Andino de Investigación y Acción Solidaria o ISAIS.

El Semanario 'El Sur' in Arequipa Speaks of the SCV; Sodalicios Respond

2007-10-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

There is little available at the moment regarding this story. What appears to have happened, according to the Director of the weekly publication 'El Sur', is a controversy stemming from an article published on the Sodality of Christian Life.

The Director, Valerio Andia Carreòn, notes that this recent story has to do with similar allegation against the group - their brainwashing of youth - and new allegations ranging from the strange company kept by Luis Fernando Figari to the Sodality of Christian Life being in the business of the dead (through the sale of funeral/cemetery paraphernalia).

Like the very immediate responses made by Sodality members in previous exposés (see: Agencia Peru and Careta's coverage of the Sodality), Sr. Carreón claims that the Sodality of Christian Life members have threatened the weekly paper with the following statements: 'we are going to sue you' and 'the judges are our professors (at the University of Saint Paul in Arequipa, a Sodalit-run institution)'.

The Director of Communications and Institutional Relations of the Sodality, Miguel A. Jaramillo Luján, has allegedly placed phone calls trying to attract people from the weekly publication 'El Sur' offering 'juicy contracts to work with the University/Sodalits'.

The Argentine Bishop

2007-10-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

Taken From BBC:

Christian Von Wernich, 69, was convicted for involvement in seven murders, 42 abductions and 31 cases of torture during the 1976-83 "Dirty War".

At the trial, several former prisoners said the former Roman Catholic priest used his office to win their trust before passing information to police torturers and killers in secret detention centres.

They say he attended several torture sessions and absolved the police of blame, telling them they were doing God's work.

"Von Wernich participated assiduously and maintained direct contacts with the detainees," the prosecution said in its indictment.

Father Von Wernich's lawyers said the case against him had more doubts than certainties and that he had been obliged to visit police detention centres as part of his duties.

The priest said he had never violated the prohibition against revealing information obtained in the sacrament of confession and accused those torture victims who gave evidence in court of being influenced by the devil.

"False testimony is of the devil, because he is responsible for malice and is the father of evil and lies," he said.

Taken From Catholic News Agency:

The executive committee of the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina issued a statement on Tuesday calling on Argentineans to reconciliation in the wake of the life sentence imposed on Father Christian Von Wernich, accused of having contributed to the violation of human rights during the military dictatorship.

Von Wernich, 69, was chaplain of the police force of Buenos Aires during the military dictatorship of 1976-1983 and was found guilty of “crimes against humanity” and sentenced to life in prison.

Upon news of the verdict, the bishops of Argentina immediately issued a statement saying the Church in Argentina “is shaken by the sorrow we feel over the participation by a priest in serious crimes, according to the sentence by the Federal Court.”

“We believe that the steps taken by the courts to clear these matters up should serve to renew the efforts of all citizens in the journey to reconciliation and are a call to back away from both impunity and hatred or anger,” the statement said.

The Argentinean bishops reiterated what they said in 2000: “If some member of the Church, no matter what their condition, recommended or was complicit in these acts (the violent repression), he or she was acting under their own responsibility, erring and seriously sinning against God, humanity and his or her conscience.”

Pope Benedict XVI Will Beatify Catholic Clergy Casualties from the Spanish Civil War

2007-06-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

With all respect for the dead, this is quite political, no?

Taken from: Catholic News Agency : en español

First native Cuban to be beatified with martyrs of Spanish Civil War

Havana, Jun 29, 2007 / 11:13 am (CNA).- On October 28 Pope Benedict XVI will raise 498 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War to the altars—perhaps the largest number of martyrs beatified in one ceremony in the history of the Church. Among the five that are not of Spanish origin will be Brother Jose Lopez Piteira, an Augustinian deacon born in Cuba.

Brother Jose will become Cuba’s first blessed. He was born in Arroy Blanco, Cuba, on February 2, 1912 to Spanish immigrants. According to the family records, his family returned to Spain when Jose was four or five years old.

They settled in Partorvia in northwestern Spain. As a young man Jose entered the Augustinian order and began studies for the priesthood. He made his solemn profession in 1934 and was ordained deacon on September 8, 1935, the feast of Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba.

One of his biographers, Father Gonzalez Velasco, wrote: “It should be noted that the young Jose Lopez Piteira always felt proud that he was born in Cuba and was a Cuban citizen.

The magazine Palabra Cubana related the story of his martyrdom: “While studying at the Monastery of El Escorial, he was detained on August 6, 1936 with his Augustinian community at that monastery and imprisoned in Madrid. When he was told he could appeal to his Cuban citizenship to gain freedom, he answered: “All of you who have been my teachers and superiors are here. What I am going to do in the city? I prefer to have the same fate as everyone else, whatever God wishes that might be.”

“On November 30, 1936, Brother Jose Lopez Piteira was martyred in Paracuellos de Jarama together with 50 other Augustinian religious. At the time of his martyrdom he was 23,” the magazine reported.

Figari's Bio Claims TFP Saw Him as "Disguised Communist"

2007-06-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

According to the latest biography released from his own organization's website, Figari is apparently not connected to more extreme right-wing groups and was seen by them as a communist. A tad weak that Figari and his organization have been negatively labelling people marxists, communists, terrorists, and the new biography displays Figari "persecuted" with the same label by another right-wing group, Tradition, Family and Property (TFP).

This strongly contradicts other accounts of Figari, the founder of 'God and Country', rooted in falange ideologies (which are fairly in line with fascism), and an alleged supporter of bringing TFP from Brasil to Peru. It also strongly contradicts the close ties that Figari's movement has with people such as Cardinal Cipriani of Opus Dei, who was very much involved with the Autocratic President Fujimori, and Bishop Chaput, a fairly right-wing bishop in Denver (except for his stance on immigration). And this new account of Figari's not-so-scary ideology is being stated while Sodality Bishops continue to root out the 'communists' and 'marxists' of the Church.

Taken from Sodality of Christian Life USA

"At age 24 he found a lack of esteem towards the Social Doctrine of the Church, which since age 16 he had considered essential for a just social renewal and for respecting human's rights and dignity. Therefore, in a short time he became a herald of the Church's social teachings, which granted him the bitter animosity of institutions such as "Tradition, Family and Property" that regarded him as a "disguised communist".

For a very secretive organization rife with controversy, past and present, and with right-wing affiliations, the new 'moderate' Figari and the 'moderate' Sodality of Christian Life is hard to believe. They should be applauded for their craftiness; they are on the way to re-writing their own history. As long as they [Sodalits] deny, counter-attack and pro-actively enforce being non-extremists, they will eventually erase proof of their right-wing identity - at least until the next controversy.

No a la 'iglesia india', and Papal Damage Control on the First Evangelization

2007-05-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Taken from CNA:

Holy See reminds its opposition to an “indigenous church” and to married priesthood in Latin America.

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Through a letter sent to the Bishop of San Cristóbal de las Casas (México), Bishop. Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, the Holy See decided to put an end to the so-called “Indigenous Church,” influent especially in southern parts of Mexico and throughout Latin America.

The letter is signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Cult and the Discipline of Sacraments. He deplores the influence of the ideology of the "autoctonous church,” inherited by Bishop Arizmendi from his predecesor Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia and remarks that the new policy should supress the overreliance on the ordination of permanent deacons in this diocese.

Bishop Ruiz prevented many different movements and religious orders to be active in the diocese, and seriously discouraged religious vocations to celibate priesthood and above all, he promoted the massive ordination of permanent deacons, valuing that in little time the Church would end up accepting the practice of married priests, which according to him was better adapted to the vision of an "indigenous" or “autochthonous church.”

The eloquent letter written by Cardinal Arinze in the latest issue of the “Notitiae” the bulletin of the dicastery is addressed to Bishop Arizmendi, but its conclusions are extended to other regions such as Guatemala, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, where the similar “Indian theology” has been spread.

The case and constant petitions coming from San Cristóbal de las Casas, has forced the creation of a interdicasterial committee in September 1993, and which finally came to a conclusion in October during the pontificate of Benedict XVI. The Committee rejects the creation of an “autochthonous church,” inspired by the “theology of liberation.”

The letters states as follows:

“We can’t ignore that, even after five years after the retirement of H.E Samuel Ruiz of San Cristóbal de las Casas, the ideology that promotes the implementation of the project of Autochthonous Church is still latent. In that sense, the Interdicasterial meeting has pronounced himself for a suspension of eventual ordinations of permanent deacons.”

“Therefore, we ask that a proper pastoral of vocations, in the perspective of celibate priesthood might be strengthened as in other parts of Mexico, and other countries in Latin America.”

In order to reorganize the ecclesial life, we asked from the beginning that the diocese may open itself to the proper realities of the universality of the Catholic Church, to help it overcome its ideological isolation.”

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Taken from CNA: En Español

Pope insists: Gospel did not destroy native cultures in America

Vatican City, May 23, 2007 / 12:42 pm (CNA).- During his weekly general audience, Pope Benedict reflected on his recent apostolic trip to Brazil and insisted that, despite the shadows in the process of announcing the Gospel in the new world, the Evangelization did not destroy but instead ennobled the native cultures.

Speaking before more than 25,000 people on a sunny day, the Pontiff said that his journey to Latin America, where he inaugurated the 5th General Conference of Latin American Bishops, "was primarily an act of praise to God for the 'wonders' worked among the people of Latin America, and for the faith that has animated their lives and culture over more than 500 years."

The Holy Father acknowledged that the "remembrance of a glorious past cannot ignore the shadows that accompanied the work of evangelization on the Latin American continent: ... the suffering and injustices inflicted by the colonizers on the indigenous peoples whose fundamental human rights were often trampled underfoot."

"But the obligatory mention of those unjustifiable crimes, condemned even at the time by missionaries like Bartolomeo de las Casas and theologians such as Francisco de Vitoria, must not prevent us from recognizing with gratitude the marvelous work achieved by divine grace among those peoples over the course of the centuries."

On the Latin American continent, the Holy Father continued, "the Gospel has become the mainstay of a dynamic synthesis that has different aspects in the different nations but everywhere expresses the identity of the Latin American people."

Finally, reflecting on the theme of the Conference, "Disciples and missionaries in Jesus Christ, that in Him our peoples may have life," Pope Benedict said that "the word 'disciple' suggests the idea of formation and of following [a master], the term 'missionary' expresses the fruit of discipleship, in other words bearing witness to and communicating a real experience: the truth known and assimilated."

"Joyfully renewing the will to be disciples of Jesus," he continued "is the fundamental condition for being His missionaries who 'start again from Christ,' to use the words of Pope John Paul II to the entire Church following the Jubilee 2000."

"With my apostolic trip," Pope Benedict concluded, "I wished to exhort people to continue along this path, presenting the unifying perspective of the Encyclical 'Deus caritas est,' a perspective that is inextricably social and theological and that can be summed up in this expression: 'it is love that gives life'."

The Pope's Account of the First Evangelization Offends Indigenous Group

2007-05-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

From BBC.com:

Indigenous leaders in Brazil have reacted angrily to Pope Benedict's comments that their predecessors had willingly converted to Christianity.

One Amazon Indian leader, Jecinaldo Satere Mawe, said the Pope's remarks had been arrogant and disrespectful.

Pope Benedict XVI told Latin American bishops in Brazil that American Indians had been "silently longing" to become Christians 500 years ago.

The Pope has now returned home after his five-day trip to Brazil.

The Vatican has made no further comment.

'Wrong and indefensible'

The BBC's Emilio San Pedro said the Pope had said the Christianisation of the region had not involved an alienation of the pre-Colombian cultures.

Our correspondent said Pope Benedict also made no mention of the violent history that followed or the documented decimation of native cultures in favour of the Christian model Conquistadores and other Europeans colonisers.

He said the comments had even been criticised by the Catholic Church's Indian advocacy group in Brazil, which described the Pope's statement as wrong and indefensible.

The Pope in Latin America

2007-05-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Taken from BBC "The people of Latin America and the Caribbean have the right to ... conditions that are human, free from the threat of hunger and from every form of violence," the Pope said.

Taken from Catholic News Agency: "Both capitalism and Marxism promised to point out the path for the creation of just structures, and they declared that these, once established, would function by themselves."

"And this ideological promise,” he added, “has been proved false. The facts have clearly demonstrated it. The Marxist system, where it found its way into government, not only left a sad heritage of economic and ecological destruction, but also a painful destruction of the human spirit. And we can also see the same thing happening in the West, where the distance between rich and poor is growing constantly, and giving rise to a worrying degradation of personal dignity through drugs, alcohol and deceptive illusions of happiness."

"This political task is not the immediate competence of the Church," the Pontiff explained. "Respect for a healthy secularity — including the pluralism of political opinions — is essential in the authentic Christian tradition."

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CELAM in Brasil excluded Liberation Theologians. They held their own event close to CELAM as a response. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=9169

If the Pope is about pluralism, why is there censorship of Liberation Theologists via non-invites to CELAM? The likely Church response would be that there is no room for ideologies that fall outside of faith and can be harmful, such as those that try to create a 'utopia' on Earth. However, if the Church is truly upholding its values, for example, ensuring human dignity, then why did controversial bishops such as Opus Dei's Cipriani, who backed the autocrat Fujimori for some time and the Sodalicio's Eguren, who suppresses those who protest unjust conditions in the Tambogrande mines of Peru, attend CELAM? This sort of censorship makes little sense; it suppresses meaningful dialogue and brings further controversy and conflict within the Church. It also rewards some bishops with authority over others, whether 'meaningfully deserved' or not.

Another observation out of the CELAM visit: A martyred Liberation Theologian, murdered in a Church, is being discussed by the Pope as a man of faith first and an agent of social change second. If he were alive, he would be lumped in with other non-violent Liberation Theologists, such as Jon Sobrino and Gustavo Gutierrez, with the m-word introducing and following his name well into his likely natural and undramatic death. But, everyone loves a martyr.

Catholic News Agency: During his May 9 flight to Brazil the Pope also spoke about Archbishop Oscar Romero [see: Prominent Liberation Theologist], who was an outspoken voice for social change before he was gunned down by a right-wing "death squad" during a Mass at his cathedral in San Salvador. Commenting on a new book about the slain archbishop, the Pope said that the death of Archbishop Romero should not be seen simply as a political figure.

"He was killed during the consecration of the Eucharist," the Pope observed. "Therefore, his death is testimony of the faith.”

Support Evangelization of the Poor Through Your Consumption

2007-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Taken from http://www.folliericapital.com/cc_overview.html

Why is the Catholic Church marrying consumer culture and the Catholic obligation of charity and benevolence via a financial product?

Day of the Unborn in Peru

2007-03-25T14:39:00.001-07:00

Today is the day of the unborn, celebrated in Peru thanks to the legislation of Dr. Solari, a member of the Sodality of Christian Life.

Santa Presion - Caretas No. 1967

2007-03-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

The abortion debate in Peru has involved the collaboration of Opus Dei and the sodalicios and their political representatives (Rafael Rey, Opus Dei and Luis Solari, Sodality of Christian Life) to put pressure on the government. Some of the achievements of their work was the adoption of the 'day of the unborn' (thanks to Dr. Solari's motion five years ago), which we will all celebrate this coming March 25. There is much to be said about Rafael Rey another day.

Santa Presión

15 de marzo de 2007

pp. 78-79

En la mañana del viernes 9 de marzo, el Presidente de la República recibió una visita tras la que no se ofreció ningún tipo de declaración. A Palacio de Gobierno llegaron el arzobispo de Lima, cardenal Juan Luis Cipriani; el presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal Peruana y arzobispo de Trujillo, Miguel Cabrejos, y el presidente de la Comisión Episcopal de Familia, Infancia y Vida y arzobispo de Piura, José Antonio Eguren.

La presencia de monseñor Eguren debe leerse entre líneas. Es el primer obispo ordenado del Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana. Su comisión asesora, promueve estudios y hace propuestas sobre todo lo concerniente al matrimonio y la familia. Además tiene bajo su cargo el comité de bioética de la Conferencia Episcopal.

Aunque a la reunión le prosiguió el silencio, es casi seguro que tuvo entre sus temas centrales la discusión sobre el aborto terapéutico, vuelta a poner sobre el tapete tras las revelaciones sobre el caso de Karen Llantoy, a quien el Estado le obligó a continuar con un embarazo a pesar de que el feto tenía una grave malformación, la anencefalia, que hacía imposible su subsistencia (CARETAS 1965, 1966). Naciones Unidas recomendó al Perú una serie de medidas para corregir el daño ocasionado a Llantoy y su cumplimiento se ha convertido en un dolor de cabeza para el sector Justicia.

A eso hay que añadir que se dio a conocer que el Instituto Materno Perinatal aprobó un protocolo para practicar el aborto terapéutico, que es permitido por el Código Penal cuando se pone en peligro la vida de la gestante, pero que hoy, tras casi ochenta años, sigue cubierto por un manto de vaguedad que ocasiona situaciones traumáticas como la de Llantoy.

Tras revelarse la existencia del protocolo (CARETAS 1966), que según algunas interpretaciones podía ser considerado una norma de alcance nacional por el rango de la institución que lo expidió, el Ministerio de Salud se vio obligado a encarar el tema. El ministro Carlos Vallejos anunció esta semana la creación de una comisión multisectorial –integrada por gremios médicos, sociedades científicas, sociedad civil y representantes ministeriales– para elaborar un protocolo a ser aplicado en todo el país. Al parecer, cedió a la presión para no darle ese peso al protocolo del Instituto, que solo regirá en esa entidad.

La Iglesia tiene como objetivo ocupar un asiento en aquella comisión. Representantes de una organización de defensa de los derechos reproductivos de las mujeres dijeron a CARETAS que, siendo esta institución contraria a toda forma de aborto, no sería ético que conformen una comisión que tendrá como mandato el explicitar los casos en los que se permitirá estas intervenciones.

Hace cuatro años y medio, el cardenal Cipriani y el entonces congresista Rafael Rey, declararon la guerra al intento parlamentario de reconocer el aborto terapéutico en el proyecto constitucional que entonces se discutía y quedó eventualmente truncado. La discusión motivó una cómica y “embarazosa” carátula de esta revista (edición 1749).

Rey, actual ministro de la Producción declaró entonces: “Nuestra sociedad admira a las personas que con riesgo de muerte toman acción para salvar a un amigo y no a aquel que escapa y deja al amigo en una situación difícil, o a aquel que mata para salvar su vida. Y eso es, precisamente, lo que el aborto terapéutico pretende”.

El entusiasmo con el que el Presidente recibió al cardenal el viernes pasado (ver foto) plantea interrogantes sobre el rumbo que tomará el debate. Durante la campaña, AGP se opuso a la propuesta de Ollanta Humala para legalizar el aborto. “Yo estoy a favor de la libre elección de métodos anticonceptivos, pero estoy en contra del aborto”, declaró en febrero del año pasado. Queda por verse si su negativa incluye también el aborto contemplado, esencialmente, por la ley.

Lo que en realidad está en juego no es la subsistencia legal del concepto del aborto terapéutico, reconocido en el Código Penal desde 1929, sino las causas específicas por las que será permitido. El protocolo del Instituto Materno Perinatal abre considerablemente el abanico de estas causales (CARETAS 1966). Si ese documento es un referente, es de esperar que la Iglesia luche cada línea al centímetro.

Mientras tanto, el pasado martes 13, DEMUS organizó un debate, moderado por el psicoanalista Jorge Bruce, en el que se presentaron las declaraciones por vídeo que Karen Llantoy, hoy de 22 años, envió desde España. La joven se ha convertido en el caso emblemático de quienes defienden la apertura de esta opción. (E.CH.)

Jesus isn't a theo-con, nor a fascist

2007-03-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Vatican has been making appointments of individuals from the 'new ecclesiastical communities' that have been promoted since the council of the Vatican II. These communities include the Sodalit Family and Opus Dei. At the same time, Pope Benedict (ex. Cardinal Ratzinger) has been promoting his own agenda to remove liberation theologists (or Marxist theology as said by the Sodalit-run Catholic News Agency). I have shown examples of this in Puno, Perú recently, and here is another example in El Salvador.

The second piece talks about how Jesus wasn't a hippy, nor a guru, nor a philosopher, nor a revolutionary, nor a socialist, etc., etc., but the Son of God.
I could agree with the things he was not, provided we also say that Jesus wasn't a neo-con/theo-con, nor a fascist, nor a market liberal either... and nor did he condemn people for disagreeing with human authority on Earth.

The author tries to explain the troubling nature of why Jesus is seen as a 'revolutionary' in Latin America. I think he should also ask why conquistadors and other colonialists are praised for 'bringing God to the Americas', since Jesus wasn't for genocide and oppression... if Jesus did support it, that would make him some sort of a fascist dictator, wouldn't it?

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Vatican Sanctions

Salvadoran archbishop confirms Vatican sanction of Jesuit theologian

Fr. Fernando Saenz Lacalle, S.J.

San Salvador, Mar 13, 2007 / 05:10 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle of San Salvador confirmed this week that on Thursday the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith would issue a Canonical sanction against Jesuit liberation theologian Jon Sobrino.

Sobrino, a Basque Jesuit who has lived in El Salvador since the 1970’s, where he has been a professor of theology at the Jose Simeon Cañas Central American University, which he founded together with several other Jesuits.

Although the sanction will be official made public on Thursday, Archbishop Saenz said during a press conference that “the Holy See tells us that the conclusions of his theological studies are not in accord with the doctrine of the Church.”

The sanction also will prohibit Jon Sobrino from teaching classes at any Catholic institution and from publishing as a Catholic author.

“For some time his writings have been under study, and for years he has been warned,” Archbishop Lacalle said, explaining that Sobrino, like many of his fellow liberationists, emphasizes the human nature of Jesus to the point of putting his divinity in doubt.

Like other authors such as Gustavo Gutierrez, Juan Luis Segundo and Pablo Richard, Sabrino contributed to creating profound division in the Church in Latin America by promoting a Marxist interpretation of theology. He has refused to make any comments until the Vatican officially publishes the sanction.

Archbishop Lacalle has requested Sobrino refrain from further controversies surrounding the activity of liberation theology proponents, especially in view of the upcoming General Conference of the Latin American Bishops’ Council, and that he “conform to the teachings of the Church.”

“I pray to the Lord for Father Jon Sobrino, that he may be docile to the teachings of the Church and will review his conclusions,” the archbishop said.

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Bishops

Jesus was no socialist, guru, or hippie, but rather the Son of God, says Venezuelan bishop

Bishop Mario Moronta

Caracas, Mar 13, 2007 / 10:09 am (CNA).- In an article published this week Bishop Mario Moronta of San Cristobal warned against misinterpreting the person of Jesus as “a Socialist,” a “guru,” or “hippie” and encouraged the faithful to constantly recall that Jesus is Lord, the Son of God.

“The person of Jesus, with his actions and teachings, has always inspired amazement and admiration in many, as well as questioning and even rejection in others,” the bishop wrote in an article for the diocesan newspaper.

“In modern times as well,” Bishop Moronta said, “the question about Jesus remains. The answer given is in accord with those who do the asking: Some have claimed he is an alien who has come from who knows what planet or galaxy in order to carry out a mission. Some have claimed he is a kind of ‘guru’ who, after his death in Israel, supposedly traveled to the Far East to achieve complete wisdom. Some claim he is a great teacher of wisdom. There is even no lack of those who would say he is a myth or an invention of the first Christians,” the bishop wrote.

“In our Latin American continent, there have always been attempts to answer the troubling question about Him,” he continued. “He has been identified as a ‘revolutionary,’ a ‘guerrilla,’ to the point that he has been depicted in paintings crucified on a cross of rifles. In our own national debate, he has been presented as a ‘Socialist.’”

“In every age,” Bishop Moronta said, “to not see Jesus in his true dimension produces in many a reaction against the Church, who is Mother and Teacher.”

“Therefore,” he recommended, “more than confronting those who do not understand the Church’s reasons, what we must do is show where the source of our answers is: in the Gospel, which is the Word of God,” where we find Peter’s profession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

“Here is the authentic answer to the question about Jesus. It is the recognition of his divine mission, of his divinity, of his final objective—the salvation of humanity,” the bishop stressed.

When somebody claims something about the person of Jesus,” Bishop Moronta added, “the attitude of believers in Christ must be that which is inspired by the Gospel: a profession of faith, made without hesitation and without fear, not to condemn another, but to invite him to understand what the true meaning of the existence of the person and work of Jesus the Lord is.”

“Therefore, neither a revolutionary, nor a Socialist, nor a hippie, nor a philosopher, nor a Gnostic deity, nor an alien, nor a ghost, nor a myth: Jesus is Lord, the Son of the living God, the Savior, the Word incarnate who has made the mystery and plan of God known to us, the Beginning and the End, the faithful witness, the same today, yesterday and forever,” Bishop Moronta emphasized.

I would have rethought the title and the picture.

2007-03-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Taken from the Catholic News Agency (Sodalit-run) on Sunday, March 11, 2007.

Zapatero, a tus zapatos!

2007-02-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

Global warming

Global warming threats exaggerated, says Cardinal Pell

Claims of 'doomsdayers' and scientific evidence don't match, Pell says

(From Sodality-Run Catholic News Agency)

Sydney, Feb 19, 2007 / 01:36 pm (CNA).- Cardinal George Pell is calling for caution regarding exaggerated claims of severe global warming and says he’s “deeply skeptical about man-made catastrophic global warming, but still open to further evidence.”

In his weekly Sunday Telegraph column, the cardinal-archbishop of Sydney said people have been “subjected to a lot of nonsense about climate disasters as some zealots have been painting extreme scenarios to frighten us.”

He called those who make claims about ice caps melting and ocean levels rising spectacularly “doomsdayers” and “scaremongers.”

He also called to account journalists who have called for Nuremberg-style trials for global warming skeptics and who have compared skeptics with “Holocaust deniers.” The media during the last 100 years, he also noted, has flip-flopped between promoting fears of a coming Ice Age and fears of global warming.

“What we were seeing from the doomsdayers was an induced dose of mild hysteria, semi-religious if you like, but dangerously close to superstition,” he said. “I would be surprised if industrial pollution, and carbon emissions, had no ill effect at all. But enough is enough.”

The cardinal acknowledged that enormous climate changes have occurred in world history, such as the Ice Ages and Noah’s flood. Long and terrible droughts are not infrequent in Australian history either, he pointed out.

He cited some scientific evidence to try to make sense of it and noted that the evidence on warming is, in fact, mixed.

He noted that:
• Global warming has been increasing constantly since 1975 at the rate of less than one-fifth of a degree centigrade per decade.
• The concentration of carbon dioxide increased surface temperatures more in winter than in summer and especially in mid and high latitudes over land, while there was a global cooling of the stratosphere.
• The East Anglia University climate research unit found that global temperatures did not increase between 1998 and 2005.
• A recent NASA satellite found that the Southern Hemisphere has not warmed in the past 25 years.

“The science is more complicated than the propaganda!” he concluded.

To Laugh or to Cry?

2007-02-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

Taken from the Catholic News Agency (Sodality Run News Agency)

The title is absolutely shameless, and the celebration of this statistic itself is intra-Church political back-patting at its best. Bolded text is added emphasis.

Spain even more generous than Latin America: 800 Spanish missionary priests

Madrid, Feb 14, 2007 / 11:31 am (CNA).- According to the Spanish bishops’ Committee on Missions and Cooperation Between Churches, a total of 800 Spanish diocesan priests are currently on mission in Latin America, with most in Peru (127), the United States (88), Venezuela (82) and Brazil (74).

In a message to mark the Spanish America Day on March 4, the president of the committee, Bishop Ramon del Hoyo of Jaen said, “Rather than a decrease in the Spanish Church’s missionary concern for the work of evangelization in Latin America,” the Spanish dioceses “have always been willing to cooperate.”

He explained that the theme for Spanish America Day this year is related to the theme chosen for the 5th Conference of the Latin American Bishops’ Council (CELAM), which will take place in May in Aparecida, Brazil, and will focus especially on the missions.

“For historical reasons related to culture and to language, the missionary spirit of the Spanish Church has always focused on the sister churches” of Latin America in a special way, “Bishop del Hoyo stressed.

In a letter sent to the Bishops’ Conference of Spain, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, encouraged the Spanish Church to “live true evangelical boldness” at a time in which Latin America “needs her religiosity to be awakened and nourished with decisiveness more than ever.”

The cardinal also thanked Catholics in Spain for their pastoral concern for Latin America “during more than 500 years of evangelization” and he called on them to “continue in this great missionary commitment” in these “extensive regions where the spiritual and earthly needs are so great.”

--------------------

Spain's Catholics had pastoral concern over the past 500 years?

Opiniones del articulo en Caretas 1960: 'Ayaviri: hostias con Aji'

2007-02-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

Trifulca Eclesiástica

Ayaviri, Puno, 28 de enero del 2007

Respecto a ‘Ayaviri: Hostias con Ají’ de CARETAS 1960, negamos abusos hacia algún sacerdote de esta prelatura. Todas nuestras acciones se han realizado con espíritu de caridad y dentro de las facultades y deberes que las normas del Código de Derecho Canónico dan al Obispo. Las actitudes individuales de sacerdotes y agentes pastorales, escudándose en supuestas incomprensiones, han hecho olvidar que para la Iglesia ambos son colaboradores del trabajo evangelizador. Nos extraña que el reportaje de Samuel Ashcallay, sesgado por recoger versiones críticas a la labor del Obispo en Ayavirí, haya ignorado el testimonio de sacerdotes y feligreses entusiasmados con el nuevo dinamismo pastoral.
En relación al Templo de Macusani, Prisco Lino Navarro, quien promovió su cierre esgrimiendo calumnias contra el párroco y las hermanas de la Asociación Lumen Dei, fue obligado el día 25 de enero, en un cabildo abierto con presencia de la población, la alcaldesa y la fiscal del distrito, a entregar las llaves de la Iglesia y a retractarse. Así el templo fue abierto y se realizó un acto de desagravio al padre Gustavo Mordones.
Héctor Cruz Mercado
Canciller de la Prelatura de Ayaviri

Los cambios en una prelatura son potestad del obispo, pero existen maneras más cristianas de ejecutarlas. Cuando el obispo Kay Schmalhausen expulsó el padre Francisco Fritsch de la prelatura de Ayaviri, 15 sacerdotes, 5 religiosas y 11 responsables de la pastoral social le pidieron por escrito que reconsidere su decisión. Durante dos semanas CARETAS intentó entrevistar al obispo Schmalhausen pero éste sólo respondió preguntas por teléfono y sin entrar en la materia. El templo de Macusani fue tomado por unas 130 personas protestando contra el padre Gustavo Mordones. Días después fue abierta por los propios pobladores y no por obligación. El vicepresidente del consejo parroquial, Prisco Lino, niega que le pidieran retractarse y el acto de desagravio al sacerdote Mordones.

Lima, 30 de enero del 2007

El artículo sobre las Iglesias del sur no le hace favor a la objetividad periodística. El autor de la nota ha generalizado la queja de un par de sacerdotes y algunas cartas. El reportaje sugiere que todo lo que hacen los obispos es abusivo. Si lo que se pretendía era cuestionar a los monseñores Kay Schmalhausen y José María Ortega, el asunto les salió al revés. Los Obispos del Perú, a través de un comunicado, han expresado su apoyo al trabajo que se viene realizando en las respectivas iglesias de Ayaviri y Juli.
Carlos Bisso
DNI 07882714

CARETAS entrevistó a 4 sacerdotes del sur andino y recibió la opinión de otros 17 a través de dos cartas, además de la declaración de 2 religiosas y 11 laicos que trabajan en esta región. Todos coincidieron en señalar abusos por parte de los obispos de Ayaviri y Juli. El padre Francisco Fritsch, expulsado de Ayaviri, ha recibido unas 300 cartas de solidaridad de sacerdotes, religiosas y laicos vinculados a la labor de la Iglesia. El escueto comunicado de los obispos no desmiente el reportaje. Sorprende que los prelados respalden despidos –sin dar explicaciones– a religiosos que trabajaron más de tres décadas en esta región durante la época del terrorismo. O que no objeten la discriminación de un seminarista por ser jorobado.

Intolerancia Clerical

Obispo de Juli: cuando hay defectos es mejor no ordenarse de sacerdote.

Lima, 29 de enero de 2007

Respecto a ‘Capilla Ardiente de CARETAS 1960, el obispo José María Ortega no tiene reparo en decir que expulsó a un seminarista por ser jorobado. Debería saber que el padre Gustavo Gutiérrez también tiene una limitación física que no le ha impedido llegar a ser el sacerdote más ilustre del Perú. Este acto lo pinta como lo que es: un intolerante que discrimina.
Héctor Velásquez Chafloque
DNI 06994867

Esa es la confesión más franca y menos religiosa que ha publicado CARETAS. El Obispo merece ser despeñado por el propio Cuasimodo.

The Dangers of Rewriting History and the New Evangelization

2007-02-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

The Sodality-run news agency "Catholic News Agency" had produced this article recently, which is a disturbing rewriting of the realities of the Americas.

Christians Called to Fearlessly Evangelize Culture, says Archbishop Gomez

“From their earliest settlement, these lands were Catholic, Christian. And these lands were, from the start, immigrant lands, meeting places of cultures,” he said. “Long before America had a name, the Gospel was being preached in these lands and the Holy Mass was being celebrated. Jesus Christ was here first -- in Word and sacrament -- changing lives and destinies, sowing the seeds of a civilization of love.”

Archbishop Gomez is an Opus Dei member, whose consecration was witnessed by Archbishop Chaput of Denver.

Fuentes de la información - New Links Found

2007-01-28T21:00:00.001-08:00

Ahora se han encontrado más 'blogs' que se trata de este conflicto en Ayaviri, el cual es debido de la presencia de los Sodalicios en el Sur Andino.

Perú ¿una iglesia rota? Sodalicio y Sur Andino

Un analisís hecho por un Puñeño

Copía de un nuevo articulo en Caretas (27 de Enero, 2007) que se trata de la politica en el la Iglesía del Sur Andino

Blog que habla de este tema

El Articulo en el Diario El Mercurio (Chileno) - 25 de Enero, 2007

In Ayaviri (Puno), Peru

2007-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

This is happening in real-time, which makes it all the more interesting.

The introduction of the Sodalits to Ayaviri, through SVC Schmalhausen, who was consecrated by Cipriani has caused a significant amount of conflict with the older pastoral groups in the region (see Liberation Theologists). It is no surprise that conservative groups Lumen Dei and Opus Dei joined Schmalhausen and the Sodalits on the second evangelization (or more softly worded, "new evangelization") of Ayaviri.

Aside, there is a strong propensity to deny the Sodalit's alignment with Opus Dei (you can see this in Caretas Letters to the Editor Re: Congressman Rafael Rey); this is in the face of documentation of such bonds for over two decades, and current documentation that they are still well-aligned with this movement.

There have been lots of interesting allegations, such as that the Sodalits and Opus Dei have been abusive in the reformation process (abusive of their powers?), the Opus Dei appointed bishop retired a parish member who was part of the South Andean Church (Iglesia del Sur Andino) for having a hump (or lump). There are some other interesting removals of pastoral workers that are conveniently part of the Iglesia del Sur Andino and in conflict with the Sodalits, including the transfer of a 68 year old pastoral worker to a very remote area in the Andes (one that, say, may require at least an hour of walking or to have a horse so that he could arrive to that location).

What this appears to be is the continued reform of the church to fully remove liberation theologists and, get rid of Ayamaran and Quechuan pride and the 'backwards culture' (see: non-western) that has been supported by 'those marxists' (see: Liberation Theologists) for the past 39 years.

Some links in Spanish:

La República has published a column on it (against the Sodalit's arrival)

Another agency that is keeping track of this ordeal

Here's a blog from someone in the area

Written at the time of the SVC movement to Ayaviri

Sodalicio News on the events

The Instituto de Pastoral Andina, which has been functioning in the region for many years

El Comercio has published a fairly short, but pro-Sodalit message, as they usually do.
(Other recent pro-sodalit examples here and here)

This Church reformation in the region appears with conservative sects taking the lead and yet again the people of Ayaviri are being put in the middle of this obviously political struggle within the Church (although it is denied by conservative members - SVC and Opus Dei - that following the Church Doctrine isn't political).

The only differences that I can note between the two sides is that the Sodalits have demonstrated disdain for Indigenous culture and have arrived in Ayaviri without showing any real interest to respect the culture of the region.

Another Article About the Sodalits

2006-12-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

From QuePasa, a Chilean magazine, November 5, 2005:

El batallón peruano del cardenal

Silenciosamente el movimiento peruano católico Sodalitium Christianae Vitae está penetrando en las tierras del Opus Dei, los Legionarios o los jesuitas: jóvenes de clase media y alta se suman a ejecutivos chilenos que enganchan con el mensaje del compromiso laico. Un grupo que no escapa de la polémica: en Lima los acusaron de "lavar cerebros". Aquí cuentan con la entusiasta venia del cardenal Francisco Javier Errázuriz.
Por: Patricio Corvalán

Relacionados
El benefactor del Opus Dei

La clase alta al diván

María Estela León Ruiz

Para meterse en la tarea de encarrilar a las almas perdidas, los sodalicios prefieren jugar de chico a grande. Saben que es difícil lanzarse a la búsqueda de adeptos de otras comunidades religiosas -como el Opus Dei, los Legionarios y los jesuitas- que les ganan en arrastre, recursos y años trabajados. Por eso lo suyo ha sido más bien silencioso.

Cuando llegaron a Chile, hace seis años y provenientes de Perú, nadie los conocía. La casualidad quiso que cuando este movimiento -que un grupo de intelectuales laicos y conservadores de la clase alta peruana había formado a comienzos de los '70 como defensa de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia- estaba tramitando la aprobación pontificia ante el Vaticano, el encargado de revisar los papeles en ese momento en Roma era el ahora cardenal Francisco Javier Errázuriz.

Quedó fascinado. Era julio de 1997 y los Sodalitium Christianae Vitae -que traducido del latín sería la Comunidad de Vida Cristiana- postulaban ante el Papa que uno de los objetivos era evangelizar para construir una "civilización del amor", a través de diversas acciones espirituales y de trabajo social. Más allá de las promesas, lo que entusiasmó a Errázuriz fue que los sodalicios les confiaban el papel protagónico a los jóvenes y que, por tratarse de un movimiento de origen laico, podía llegar a ser masivamente más atractivo. Su apuesta ya estaba decidida: había que traerlos a Chile.

Dios lo escuchó en enero de 1999. Errázuriz había llamado a Lima para pedirle al fundador del movimiento, el laico peruano Luis Fernando Figari, que lo ayudara a reimpulsar las pastorales chilenas. Y Figari le respondió enviándole una delegación de cuatro laicos (dos peruanos, un brasileño y un colombiano) para cumplir con sus deseos.

"¿Le parece bien mañana?"

Los sodalicios eran hasta entonces mayoritariamente desconocidos para las comunidades religiosas chilenas. Lo que se sabía era que en Perú sumaban más de diez mil adherentes y que se habían ramificado hacia Colombia y Brasil. Y que eran laicos, porfiados, obedientes y trabajadores. Habían surgido como respuesta a la Teología de la Liberación. En Perú, algunos los tildaban de derechistas y ultraconservadores. "Más ortodoxos que el Opus Dei", decían otros.

La noche en que llegaron desde Lima, el cardenal los alojó en una casa abandonada en Ñuñoa que pertenecía a un noviciado. Después de instalarlos, les contó cuáles iban a ser sus tareas: deberían incorporarse a la pastoral del Colegio Apoquindo -que en ese tiempo se había debilitado por la paulatina partida de los Legionarios de Cristo- y, paralelamente, levantarían una capilla cercana a la avenida Portales, un sobrepoblado sector de Maipú donde la parroquia local no daba abasto para atender a una comunidad de 40 mil personas. Alessandro Moroni ya las oficiaba de superior de la delegación. Apenas Errázuriz terminó de hablar, les preguntó si les parecía empezar en una semana o dos. Moroni miró el reloj y le contestó como sodalicio: "¿Le parece bien mañana?".

La urgencia rindió sus frutos: han logrado penetrar en segmentos juveniles de clase alta y media, convirtiéndose en una alternativa a Legionarios y Opus. El boca a boca es su principal arma de marketing. Pero no sólo han logrado reclutar adolescentes: algunos ejecutivos -como Alejandro Danús, gerente general de Sal Lobos; o Cristián Canevaro, gerente comercial de Viña Concha y Toro- y políticos -como Marta Ehlers, alcaldesa de Lo Barnechea- ya integran sus filas. "Que haya gente de nombre en el grupo nos otorga una cuota de excelencia -dice el vocero de los sodalicios, Andrés Tapia-, porque si ellos están con nosotros es sinónimo de que somos serios".

Ángeles o demonios

No hay medias tintas. En Perú, donde son muy conocidos, se hablan maravillas o calamidades. Si para algunos los sodalicios son una comunidad comprometida y expandida a 19 países, con 14 mil adherentes, 400 consagrados, 20 sacerdotes y un obispo (el auxiliar de Lima, José Antonio Eguren), para otros son una funcional y perfecta lavadora de cerebros jóvenes y confundidos. Es en rigor la figura de Luis Fernando Figari la que despierta las pasiones. Era un alumno aventajado en la Facultad de Teología Pontificia y Civil de Lima cuando en 1971 decidió que el círculo de amigos con los que discutía sobre fe debía ser una comunidad.

Desde ese mismo instante, las aguas se han dividido. Para los seguidores, Figari -hoy con 58 años- ha logrado consolidar el mayor movimiento laical cristiano de los últimos tiempos, lo que le ha valido el reconocimiento del Vaticano, al punto de haber sido invitado por Benedicto XVI para participar en el reciente Sínodo de Obispos. Sus detractores, en cambio, lo han ligado a un grupo violentista llamado Escalones Juveniles Nacionalistas e incluso hablan de acusaciones judiciales que algunas familias peruanas habrían hecho en su contra por haber incitado el abandono de hogar, lo que Moroni -mostrando documentos notariales- se empeña en calificar como mitos sin fundamentos.

Retiros con asados

Curiosamente, esa polémica no atravesó la frontera. La primera imagen de los sodalicios que tienen en Maipú es la de cuatro laicos vestidos de azul y gris, con zapatos lustrados resistiendo las calles de tierra. Llegaban en la mañana, se presentaban en cada casa y terminaban la charla pidiendo los 75 pesos que costaba comprar cada ladrillo para la capilla.

Al otro lado de la ciudad, el rector del Colegio Apoquindo, José Ignacio Concha, recuerda que esos mismos cuatro laicos llegaron también de mañana y que a los pocos días organizaron el primer Convivio, "un retiro que llamó la atención porque mezclaban charlas espirituales con asados y partidos de fútbol mixtos".

Lentamente, la pólvora ya se había encendido. Moroni y compañía terminaron la capilla Madre de los Apóstoles con la ayuda de la comunidad de Maipú, la primera etapa de un proyecto que esperan acabar a fin de año con la obra gruesa del centro apostólico, como llaman a la casa que los alojará definitivamente.

Moroni habla de esto como el siguiente paso para la consolidación. Además de hacerles clases a adultos para que terminen la enseñanza media, y de haber lanzado programas dirigidos a los pobres y a los cesantes, en el 2003 quisieron medir fuerzas. Fue entonces cuando organizaron el Primer Encuentro de la Familia Sodálite -así también se les conoce- como una forma de dimensionar el número de miembros más activos. Esperaban cien personas, como mucho. Llegaron 500.

Para José Ignacio Concha, la clave ha estado en la cercanía con los adolescentes. "Es un movimiento muy conservador, pero que habla de los temas que les interesan a los jóvenes. Es una mirada moderna que interpreta a los católicos de este tiempo". Las cifras le dan la razón. Hay al menos una veintena de estudiantes ligados al Apoquindo -donde incluso el capellán del colegio es el sodalicio peruano Rafael Otero- y al Craighouse que están en una etapa llamada de "discernimiento", en la que podrían optar a convertirse en laicos consagrados o incluso en sacerdotes.

Esto tiene impresionado a Errázuriz. "Existe una resurrección de las vocaciones sacerdotales entre la juventud y en eso es evidente que los sodalicios tienen mucho que ver. Si antes era un carisma casi exclusivo de los jesuitas o del Opus Dei, ahora este grupo silencioso los motiva y más encima les da la opción de ser laicos consagrados", dice un colaborador cercano al cardenal.

Las comparaciones con el Opus Dei son inevitables: conservadores, de derecha, nacidos en la elite. Sin embargo, el peruano Erwin Scheuch, párroco en el lujoso distrito limeño de Monterrico y también vocero de la agrupación, se encarga de marcar las diferencias: "Nosotros somos un movimiento laico, nuestros superiores son laicos y ciertamente no contamos con recursos elevados. No somos una competencia para nadie, porque tenemos nuestro propio carisma. Lo que nos interesa es evangelizar y tener vida comunitaria. Si me preguntan, te diría que somos unos misioneros".

Entonces, ahora las comparaciones apuntan a los jesuitas. "Con los retiros, las misiones, los trabajos en Maipú, los sodalicios están reencantando a los jóvenes -dice José Ignacio Concha-, porque sienten que la religión es más cercana. Y en eso se podría hablar de que a los jesuitas les llegaron refuerzos".

La casa de San Bartolo

En el malecón de San Bartolo, en Lima, donde todos ven la playa, los sodalicios ven la luz. Figari decidió que en esa zona se instalara la casa de formación para quienes hayan decidido consagrarse. El movimiento tiene una compleja estructura que, dicen, garantiza que cuando una vocación está latente se encauce por el buen camino.

Y hay que seguir al pie de la letra las reglas. Cuando algún simpatizante siente su vocación le debe mandar una carta a Figari en la que se le dan las razones por las que se quiere aspirar a integrar el movimiento. "Al aceptársele, la idea es que la persona renuncie a las tentaciones y tenga una vida más acorde", dice Erwin Scheuch. De hecho, esas reglas les imponen a los consagrados el celibato, la obediencia y la comunión de bienes. O sea, los bienes de cada uno son de todos y es un economista designado por Figari quien distribuye las ganancias individuales, las donaciones y el financiamiento del grupo.

Los preceptos sodalicios indican, además, que el aspirante debe estar entre uno y tres años en la etapa de discernimiento. Ahí definirá si se consagra o bien echa marcha atrás.

Al que da el paso hacia delante lo espera la férrea disciplina de San Bartolo. Es un asunto que a menudo se toma literal. Pedro Salinas, un escritor y periodista peruano que perteneció al grupo hasta 1984, publicó una novela titulada "Mateo Diez", en alusión al evangelio que habla de los sacrificios que se deben hacer para seguir a Jesús. En el libro, el protagonista recrea la supuestamente dura filosofía sodalicia, y hace alusión a una vieja frase de la guerra civil española en que a los sacerdotes se les consideraba "mitad monje, mitad soldado", tan acuñada por los detractores del movimiento.

Sodalicios como Scheuch niegan que la formación de los jóvenes sea marcial. Lo que sí confirma es que es intensa. Por ejemplo, después de dormir seis horas, se levantan temprano para correr al borde de la playa y luego nadar 600 metros en el mar. "El deporte es para conseguir la armonía corporal, el temple que se necesita para servir", afirma Daniel Prieto, un estudiante chileno que está a punto de abandonar Derecho para internarse tres años en San Bartolo, lo necesario para convertirse en sacerdote.

Será el segundo chileno en consagrarse con hábitos. El primero es Sebastián Correa, el hijo mayor de la alcaldesa de Lo Barnechea, Marta Ehlers, y quien está en el último año de formación en Lima. Además, una de las hijas de la edil, María José, se transformó en la primera Sierva del Plan de Dios, uno de los movimientos sodalicios para mujeres. Y Fernanda, una de las menores, participa como monitora de un grupo que simpatizan con estas vocaciones.

En todos estos casos, los retiros llamados "Convivios" han jugado un papel vital para que los padres sepan en qué pasos andan sus hijos. "Te plantean conocerte a través de conocer a Dios -dice Luis Germán Edwards, alumno de Ingeniería Comercial en la Universidad de los Andes- y de esa forma te vas respondiendo muchas de las dudas que tienes en esta etapa".

Los críticos apuntan a la sagacidad del grupo. "Hacen como que te escuchan, pero al final terminas metiéndote en una vorágine de compromisos muy intensa, donde si fallas o te arrepientes eres un completo fracasado", dice un renunciado simpatizante. Moroni se ríe. "¿Qué vamos a hacer si alguien quiere irse? ¿Ponerle una pistola en el pecho?".

El próximo gran proyecto de los sodalicios es comprar un colegio o un instituto técnico, probablemente en Lo Barnechea. No les asusta la competencia con el resto de las congregaciones. Para ellos, el rebaño es grande y alcanza para todos.

----
Note: this, like many other pieces, was written by an academic. He is also a journalist.

Of course, this work and the red flags it subtly raises about the Sodalits are not in english and therefore can't really be fully appreciated by all in North America.

The Catholic Conservative Connection

2006-12-16T00:17:00.000-08:00

An idea of an Opus Dei connection is rather far-fetched, innit? And no, I am not referring to the Da Vinci Code as I am sure the Catholic Church would love. They have developed a great press release to deal with the Da Vinci Code and the Opus Dei issue. I am going to take Opus Dei at face value for what they are: a very conservative movement within the church.

Here are some interesting observations of the Sodalits and Opus Dei connection.

First off, Milagros Peña's work tells the reader that the Sodalits and Opus Dei worked together (along with Benedict - then Cardinal Ratzinger) in order to remove liberation theology during the 80's.

Cardinal Luis Cipriani, the Archbishop of Lima is also Opus Dei. He's also incredibly political, having recently said during a spiritual procession of the people (not of political agendas!) that those who are in favour of the morning after pill and call it safe are 'liars and murderers' seen here and here in the press. He has consecrated Bishops Kay Martin Schmalhausen and Jose Antonio Erguren Anselmi of the Sodality of Christian Life, the only two Bishops of the S.C.V movement that exist. Jose Antonio Eguren Anselmi used to be the Auxilary Bishop of Lima with Cipriani until he moved to Piura.

It's not surprising to see that Bishop Eguren Anselmi succeeded control of the Archdiocese of Piura from Cipriani and that previous to both Cipriani and Anselmi, it was controlled by an Orders of Friars Minors (O.F.M.) Bishop. Also, it's interesting to see that Cipriani has succeeded and been succeeded by members of O.F.M., an organization that has been instrumental to Figari's life (see CLM Canada) and also closely connected to Sodalits and Opus Dei in Denver.

Recently, in December, the Sodalits celebrated their Assembly and anniversary in Lima with Cipriani presiding over the final mass, in which he blessed their labour. Ratzinger (Pope Benedict) also blessed the organization and commended them for their great work.

Then there's the connection of the O.F.M. Archbishop Chaput of Denver, who has welcomed in conservative groups Opus Dei and the Sodality Family into his community. His appointed auxilary Bishop was Opus Dei, until that Bishop was promoted to San Antonio, Texas.

Lastly, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission authors were outspoken about oppressive issues in the Church, it was Opus Dei and the Sodalits who got together to protest them.

Please ask yourself: why do people in these conservative organizations tend to find each other and work together? Please keep in mind that these are only a few examples of their relationships together that are accessible online. They aren't to show any sort of scandalous behaviour, but are merely here to demonstrate that there have been documented links between each other that are significant. The fact that these links span about 30 years should also be taken into consideration that these relationships have been consistent, from the creation of the Sodalits to the present.

If the Sodalits aren't "so conservative", why are they so close to the Opus Dei and to other conservatives? It's absolutely ridiculous to deny that the Sodalits are not a very conservative wing of the church and it is highly questionable from a their vested interest standpoint to actually pursue social justice activities - those which acknowledge injustices and work to ensure that they know longer continue - considering their strong conservative connections within the church and the Vatican.

These interests haven't taken responsibility for the repression they have caused; in fact, as seen in the speeches and words of Figari and Rafael Aguedas (both experienced on both SEA trips to Peru), they praise some of the church's unjust activities. By never recognizing the root of the social problem and developing "social justice" programs based on ideas that fail to recognize these deep issues means that they can offer is charity to the people in the form of infrastructure, social services and education. They can't offer them the same opportunities as them, nor the same privileges that they have. Since the Sodalits have stamped their names in the communities they give to means that the people are dependent on their resources to survive. The people aren't given the ability to make their own decisions and take care of themselves, at least not without the hands of Sodalits or people that are brought into the community. Otherwise they don't "need" any of them.

2006-12-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

Because the Sodalit Family is very political as-is, it is hard to ignore the personal politics invested in the arguments made. It would be foolish to argue that my approach to this is objective; I most definitely have issues with an organization that is inherently racist and hides behind the veil of creating 'social justice' in resource-poor neighbourhoods. It has been incredibly difficult to find a reason to feel indifferent or favourable toward an organization of resource-wealthy Latinos, whose entire existence is political, whose past is rife with conflict and an absence of transparency, and whose messages are pro-colonial and lack true respect for people of mestizo and indigenous descent.

I recall being told about some of the beliefs by a member of this community of why indigenous people of Peru were poor; it was explained to be a 'cultural problem' as opposed to a 'social problem'. The cultural problem being that the Quechua speaker, although creative, has little capacity to understand complex thought processes, such as those attainable by a Spanish speaker. Secondly, their inability to understand complex economics due to their lack of education is the other 'cultural' issue. Hence, this is why they (rural migrants - Andean people) only participate in petty, simple economic activity. This is a good way of explaining why those 'savages' are poor; they apparently just don't know how to be rich because they belong to an inferior culture with an inferior language!

While again my ideas are political, I find it incredibly dangerous that these sorts of ideas are spread about indigenous/Andean people, considering that none of those who are spewed these versions of the Sodality/creole/conservative realities at any given moment are really in any situation to contact rural migrants from Andean/indigenous backgrounds in a meaningful way and in a neutral/safe atmosphere, although I doubt one can create such an atmosphere with 30 wealthy North Americans in a 'pueblo joven'.

The fact that people participating in 'Solidarity in Action', an organization within the Sodalit Family, are not given the opportunity to explore the reality of the people who they are 'acting in solidarity with' is startling and creating a very slippery slope where assumptions are easily made. These assumptions are then asserted by a Sodality member on the trip, who will explain the social realities of the rural migrants to the ignorant 'do-good' foreigners (from what is a fairly racist creole perspective). The notion that the kindness and the 'purity of the heart' of those who live in the 'pueblos jovenes' of Lima are then assumed to be partially caused by the solidarity between the organization 'there to help' and the 'grateful' and 'needy' community.

And we haven't even begun to speak about the ideas spread about liberation theologists and non-conservatives. Having read this article written by a sympathizer of the movement, who had only four days of experience with the Sodality movement, it is apparent that some of the same ideas spread by this organization are already being spewed from his mouth!

"My four days in Peru were spent as the guest of a remarkable religious community you may not have heard about, the "Sodality of Christian Life." Sodality means "promise" or "friendship," and in Peru, I encountered both."

On the other Catholic Institutions:
"San Pablo has already become the leading Catholic university in Peru and is now drawing students from adjacent countries. The older Catholic institutions, such as Catholic University of Lima, are centers of extreme left, radical feminist and pro-abortion ideology. Remnants of the liberation theology that thrived in Peru in the '70s and '80s still exist. (Remember the ex-nuns who assumed combat fatigues and protected terrorists in the name of the people?)"

This is incredibly humorous, as Luis Fernando Figari started in PUCP (Catholic University of Lima) and launched his attack from PUCP on the Liberation Theologist Catholic thinker, Gustavo Gutierrez, who worked in PUCP. The fact that Luis Fernando Figari's movement has contempt for this institution is strange, as radical right-winged movements also were created there. This is perhaps their way of 'othering' less right-wing institutions from their newly founded San Pablo University.

The idea of liberation theology as pro-Senderista [Sendero Luminoso - Shining Path] is also derived directly from the Sodalit Family. The fact that liberation theologists believed in political action does not mean that they supported terrorism or terrorist activities. In fact, liberation theologists spoke out against violent conflict, as it was not part of their theology (at least that derived from Gustavo Gutierrez). Secondly, the fact that in the Takillakkta songs translated and through the speeches of Luis Fernando Figari and his members, the outright support and graciousness for the arrival of the Spaniards, who murdered many indigenous people, is absolutely hypocritical considering that the Sodalites try and portray themselves as anti-conflict and anti-violent by their strong stance against terrorism. I suppose that if they could rationalize non-believers as inhuman, the murders of so many indigenous people during the conquest could be justified and allow them to conclude the Spaniards who came to the Americas were blessed by God and not murderers (remember, the conquest wasn't peaceful by any means).

A couple of interesting afterthoughts on the Sodalits: if they are so anti-terrorist and pretty much all of the victims of terrorism were mestizos or indigenous, why is it that there is no 'solidarity' between indigenous or mestizo organizations and the Sodalit Family? Secondly, why is it that the Sodalit Family doesn't acknowledge the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, which strives to bring social justice to families affected by terrorism and is actually reported to be in conflict with them? [please refer to the source section, where there is an article about right-wing organizations attacking authors of the Truth and Reconciliation document] Any measure that acknowledges the grave injustices against indigenous people and seeks to ensure the poor treatment of indigenous and mestizo people doesn't happen again I would consider as social justice.

Anyhow, my purpose was not to prove the fallacies of that statement, although it is always important to be critical. The ability for this gentlemen who was in Peru for four days to gain that social commentary on Peru in four days is nearly impossible, at least without being manipulated or told what to think and what to say about certain issues by the people he was surrounded with.

I hope that this example given can help sympathizers of this organization understand that short stints with this organization produce biased 'truth-spewing' based on the words of Sodalits, whose questionable, manipulative tactics are already under scrutiny. By looking at this example, I hope people will think critically about what they have been told and where these ideas came from.

The Christian Life Movement USA

2006-12-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

I guess this gives some context of how the Sodalit Family, particularly the Christian Life Movement [CLM] is related to North American Politics, as it's more difficult for most Canadians (and Americans) to relate to Latin American politics.

It appears that Denver is the capital of Catholic conservatism in the USA.

Taken from CLM Canada (http://www.clmcanada.org/page2.html):

"When he was 7 years old, he received the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Communion, and Confirmation. Presiding over the Liturgy was Archbishop Juan Landázuri, O.F.M., who would later have an important role in the approval of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, as well as in other religious societies Luis Fernando established."

The CLM USA stronghold is within the city of Denver, whose diocese is run by O.F.M. Archbishop Chaput.

Chaput's political motivations during the 2004 election

"Archbishop Chaput has discussed Catholic priorities in the election in 14 of his 28 columns in the free diocesan newspaper this year. His archdiocese has organized voter registration drives in more than 40 of the largest parishes in the state and sent voter guides to churches around the state. Many have committees to help turn out voters and are distributing applications for absentee ballots.

In an interview in his residence here, Archbishop Chaput said a vote for a candidate like Mr. Kerry who supports abortion rights or embryonic stem cell research would be a sin that must be confessed before receiving Communion."

Support for CLM
"Now present throughout the world [the CLM], both Archbishop Francis Stafford and Archbishop Charles Chaput welcomed the group to the U.S. by way of the Archdiocese of Denver. The consecrated male community was formally established in 2003."

Here is an interesting piece written on the Archdiocese of Denver written by a Catholic newsgroup from Australia

The article acknowledges the relationship of Denver's former Archbishop, now Cardinal Francis Stafford in the Vatican. It is no coincidence that the Sodalit Family can grow in Denver, an area with such support of the Vatican. It is also no coincidence that there are very strong connections between Pope Benedict and the Sodalit Family and strong connections between the Pope and these Archdiocese in Denver. An Opus Dei cleric was appointed as the Auxilary Bishop in Denver as well.

"In Denver, Archbishop Chaput took over an archdiocese that had been patiently refashioned during the ten-year tenure of J. Francis Stafford, a theologian and intellectual who is now a cardinal and head of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome. It was then-Archbishop Stafford, observers say, who first identified Denver as an "emerging city" and set about building a local Church to match its energy and dynamism. He brought in top lay advisers, encouraged new religious orders and movements to relocate there, built close ties with Latin American Church leaders, and made the Church a respected voice on issues ranging from urban sprawl and "hyperdevelopment" to evangelisation and the Internet...

Some critics fault Archbishop Chaput for speaking with what they say is a muted voice on social issues. "There is no deep commitment to the poor - the priority now is with these very conservative theological efforts," complains Loreto Sister Anna Koop, who has run a Catholic Worker house for Denver's needy and homeless for nearly 25 years. Sister Koop complains that Archbishop Chaput has done little to protest against gentrification and development efforts in Denver or the skyrocketing cost of living, all of which have displaced hundreds of poor families and made housing unaffordable except for the very wealthy. The Archdiocese's "only legislative interest is in pro-life and anti-gay and lesbian things," she says....

As he looks forward himself, Archbishop Chaput sees the face of his Archdiocese rapidly becoming Hispanic. The ordination in March of Auxiliary Bishop José Gomez, a 49-year-old Mexican priest of Opus Dei, marked another turning point in the Archdiocese's understanding of itself, Archbishop Chaput says: "We will begin to see ourselves as a diocese that is inherently bilingual, inherently multicultural."

An essay written by Chaput

"I write a lot of letters every day because a lot of people write to me, and my parents always taught me that ignoring anyone is bad manners. So I always write back, which means I have a lot of interesting pen pals, some happy, some angry and a few who are a little strange. One of the angry ones emailed me a few weeks ago to complain that the Archdiocese of Denver was becoming a magnet for every flaky, right wing new group in the Church. And I immediately thought: Thank you for a great way to begin my talk on St. Francis.

It's true that God has raised up many new charisms and communities in the Church over the last 60 years, and especially since Vatican II. It's true that all of them have their special weaknesses along with their special strengths. And it's also true that the Archdiocese of Denver has tended to welcome them with an openness which they may not always find elsewhere. I think that's partly because of the vision of my predecessor, Cardinal Francis Stafford, and partly because of the conversion our own local Church has undergone since World Youth Day 1993.

But in each of these new charisms that has taken root in Colorado -- groups like the Community of the Beatitudes, the Neocatechumenal Way, the Christian Life Movement, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, the charismatic renewal, Opus Dei, Cursillo, the Marian Community of Reconciliation, Families of Nazareth, and most recently a wonderful apostolic society that began 30 years ago in Peru, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae -- in each of these cases, their spirit is something very familiar to anyone who knows St. Francis.... "

Enjoy Takillakkta

2006-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

Takillakkta is a group that is strongly associated with the Sodalite Family; there is no coincidence that the musicians are from Figari's organization.

Basically, they feature consecrated laymen (of largely European descent) that play zampoñas, guitars, quenas and other Andean and creole instruments.

Most english speakers probably do not have a clue as to what they're hearing and seeing.

Here is the page: TAKILLAKKTA

And here are the songs translated:

1492

When Christopher Columbus discovered this continent,
The history of evangelization began,
Blessed discoverer of the Americas,
The New World was waiting for Christ the Redeemer

Passing through (the ocean) by caravel, in the sea under the stars,
They arrived to our land (the Americas),
And left profound footprints,
In the history of the Americas by the evangelization

Spain was chosen to bring the gospel to the bronze-skinned men[sic]
That were yearning for God.

With saintliness and heroism by the missionaries,
The glorious guidance was forged by the Virgen del Pilar

Year 92 of the distant 15th century
Broke dawn on our horizon with the light of faith,
The day del Pilar, the beautiful 12th of October,
Jesus Christ arrived to us

Teaching and preaching with the word and by example,
Our Saints blossomed, evangelizing the indian[sic], the black, the creole and mestizo with the faith of our God

This is the inheritance that they left us,
That which forges our history,
Let us unite our strengths to continue the labour of Christ!

Latin American brother, with heart in hand, let us work together to bring reconciliation!

Evangelization

This is the glorious history of the heroic deed of evangelization of this continent, our Latin America.
History of valiant men, of heroic Saints, history of lights and shadows, history of our faith.

When Christopher Columbus discovered this continent,
From Spain they sent people to preach,
The evangelization has pages of glory,
The history reminds us of it and it's certain that it is as said (refering to the pages of glory?),
This evangelization has pages of glory,
In order to help remind us of the memory of the Saints being there

There is Saint Paul Claver and Saint Rosa of Lima,
That arrived in Latin America to bloom,
They were changed with the duty of Anthony of Montesinos,
And as well with Saint Toribio and the mulatto[sic] Saint Martin,
Defending until the end the dignity of the poor.

The annnouncement of faith in Latin America
Was a devine blessing that like right here I will tell you,
In its origin and in Christianity being preached,
Through catechisms, prayers, songs and orations,
With dances and processions and with singing of the divine

Indian, white and people of colour, they were converted since early times,
Thus, the American continent met our Lord

The messengers of peace, they fought for justice,
Bartolome de las Casas (Saint) and as well Saint Louis Beltran,
Defending the poor, the Indian and the indian dignity,
The message of God came to America to proclaim,
Defending the poor, the Indian and the indian dignity,
The life of Bishop Valdivieso was given to deliver

Let us remember the missions of the fathers that gave help,
That into the rainforest they arrived preaching the gospel,
and the faithful missionaries, the Francisican friars,
that for Christ they conquered from Lima to Chiloé,
It is almost unbelievable the poverty(shortage/penury) that existed.

Some Sources of Information

2006-12-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

These are the following articles gathered about this organization thus far. Many articles need command of Spanish to understand what is being said.

It is a shame that so much is written in Spanish and that many English speakers do not have access to this information for their own interpretation. It's the same issue as those that live in the poor regions, who can't communicate with mission workers because they don't share the common tongue.

Catholic Totalitarianism in Peru (in Spanish)
"The Sodalit Movement is Nazi-Fascist, it is the Creole Opus Dei..."

A lady complains about the abduction of her child by the sodalites to the Peruvian Government (in Spanish)

Caretas - Los Once Mil Castos (in Spanish)
One family searches for their son who has been apparently brainwashed and kidnapped by the organization... The youth of the movement laugh at the idea of being brainwashed, manipulated; they say they've been evangelized...

Caretas - the Responses to Los Once Mil Castos (in Spanish)
A response from the spokesperson of the organization, threatening about legal action for defamation of the organization. Attached to his message is the son of a family who launched a complaint about the organization, who was apparently kidnapped. The son's message said his dad was threatening his life (spiritual/physical??) and he is fine and happy in Sao Paolo.

The Mysteries of the Sodalits (in Spanish)
Questionable practices of the organization and torturing to show God's love are discussed in this article.

Follow-up to The mysteries of the Sodalits (in Spanish) More threats by the organization. The writer tends to tread back on himself; mentions the goodness of the organization at the end and how they help the poor.

The Sodalits Infiltrate Arequipa [some more](in Spanish)
This is Peru indymedia, which definitely has their own alternative perspective. They state that fundamentalist sodalites try and take over more educational facilities in Arequipa, where youth attend, for the purpose of brain-washing them/manipulating their minds. This article is further vindication that the organization is controversial and involved in manipulative activities, which starkly different journalist sources claim as well.

Parents reject Catholic school to be kept in the hands of a religious sect (in Spanish)
One parent is worried that the fundamentalist organization will brainwash their kids and put them through humiliating and torturing tests to prove their faith. The group is considered an extreme right-winged group from the 60s.

A Discussion Board about Religious Cults and Sects that Discusses The Sodalit Movement (in Spanish)

Argentinians Concerned about the Sodalit Movement(in Spanish)

Peru indymedia wasn't too impressed with the right-wing church movements' protest (Opus Dei, the Sodalit family and other) of a book written by former participatants in the Truth and Reconciliation Comission about right-wing church groups
The Truth and Reconciliation Committee sought to explain the atrocities against campesinos during the 1980s and 1990s. There was a lot of terrorizing happening at this time, not just the Sendero Luminoso and the Tupac Amaru movement; three governments were implicated for human rights violations.

There are still other articles that weren't included in this list! The same themes surface each time.

Some academic literature:

Swatos, W.H. (ed.). 1995. Religion & democracy in Latin America. New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.A.: Transaction Publishers.

Peña, M. 1995. Theologies and Liberation in Peru: The Role of Ideas in Social Movements. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 222 pp.