Pope Francis has expelled 10 members of a scandal-plagued movement in Peru after allegations of physical abuse and other mistreatment.
The 10 men of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae movement are accused of sadism and violence, but also of abuse of power and cult-like methods.
The decision was announced by the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, which sent a letter on Wednesday from the Holy See’s diplomatic office in Lima.
Among those excluded are a retired archbishop, several priests and lay people. The pope sent two special investigators to Lima last year to look into the litany of accusations.
The ultra-conservative Catholic educational organization was founded in response to the left-wing liberation theology that became popular in Latin America from the 1960s onwards.
Children and young people have been abused in the group for years. The first accusations date back to 2000.
The founder, Luis Fernando Figari, was expelled from the group by Pope France last month.
The statement said the Pope and the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference expressed regret for the abuses, asked the victims for forgiveness and called on the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana to follow the path of justice and reparation.