Pope Francis expels 10 for 'sadistic' abuses in Peru sect

The Vatican uncovered abuses within the Sodalitium, a controversial Catholic movement centered in Peru

Pope Francis signs a book in Luxembourg
The pope's public move against Sodalitium leadership listed abuses that have not previously been punished canonically
(Image credit: Eric Lalmand / Belga Mag / AFP via Getty Images)

What happened

Pope Francis expelled 10 members of Peru's controversial Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV) movement on Wednesday, including a bishop, several priests and multiple lay members. The Vatican said the former members were guilty of "sadistic" abuses of power.

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.