Priest Juan Carlos Rivva, a member of the Sodalicio, faces charges of psychological mistreatment, having publicly criticized Pope Francis.
Update on the Controversy Surrounding Father Juan Carlos Rivva
A controversial twist has unfolded in the religious community, with Father Juan Carlos Rivva making daring statements about the late Pope Francis and being publicly accused of alleged psychological abuses. accused. According to a testimony published by the Religion Digital portal, Carlos Díaz, former member of the Movement of Christian Life (MCL), a branch of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), alleges that Rivva used his position to exercise manipulation and psychological abuse.
The MCL is a part of the larger Sodalite Family. It was the most numerous branch of the Figarian foundations. Members, known as "MCLists," aimed to live the "Sodalite spirituality." This, along with the Marian Groups, served as the main recruitment scenes for the Sodalites, Fraternities, and Servants when capturing potential adolescents who might have a "vocation."
Carlos Díaz claims he joined the MCL in 1993 at the age of 16. At the time, Father Juan Carlos Rivva led the pastoral care at the Pontifical Bolivarian University (UPB) College. Díaz asserted that Rivva attempted to weaken the father figure in his life, a tactic allegedly common in the Sodalite apostolate. This process was intensified due to a fear of psychiatric antecedents in his family, making him more vulnerable to control dynamics.
Rivva is accused of ordering a member of the Association of Mary Immaculate (AMI) to apply psychological tests on Díaz without the knowledge or consent of his parents. During a visit to Medellín at the end of 1994, psychologist Cecilia Collazos, then superior of the Marian Fraternity of Reconciliation, briefly interviewed him and, based on the tests done by the social worker, concluded that Díaz was bipolar. This diagnosis, according to the testimony, was manipulated to guide spiritual counseling towards a supposed need to maintain a "state of conversion" to avoid serious psychiatric consequences.
Díaz describes the concept of "conversion" as an indoctrination requiring the renunciation of one's own criteria and submission to the authorities of the movement. This required adhering to the religious beliefs of Luis Fernando Figari, founder of the SCV, which had negative effects on not only his psychiatric, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing but also persisted to this day.
Rivva's comments about Pope Francis and the dissolution of the SCV have caused controversy, with Díaz stating that Rivva played a central role in the direction of the SCV in Colombia alongside Enrique Elias for years. Many people allegedly suffered various types of abuse under the leadership of this duo.
During a homily, Father Juan Carlos Rivva expressed his feelings about Pope Francis's death and shared his reaction upon learning of his passing. "For me, it was inevitable to think that if the Pope had died a week earlier, the Sodalicio would probably not have been dissolved yet," he stated. In response, Rivva offered a prayer asking for mercy on the pope's soul and the unity of his family.
Months before Pope Francis's death, the SCV was dissolved due to numerous allegations of abuse. The investigation process included expert intervention, the expulsion of its founder, Luis Fernando Figari, and at least 15 other members. The Vatican's internal purification process aimed to sever any ties with the practices denounced. The figure of Father Juan Carlos Rivva stands out within this context, having had a long career within the SVC. Despite the controversy, the parish website where he currently serves, he was born in Lima in 1962, made his perpetual profession in the Sodalicio on November 27, 1989, and was ordained a priest after completing his licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Bolivarian University of Medellín.
The SCV case also involved high-ranking Church officials in Peru. In April 2024, Archbishop of Piura José Antonio Eguren resigned due to allegations of covering up abuses committed within the organization.
- The controversy surrounding Father Juan Carlos Rivva has extended beyond religious spheres, as it has also been linked to political and general news, with allegations of psychological abuses and manipulation.
- Sports and crime-and-justice might find a connection in this unfolding story, as the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), an organization in which Father Rivva played a significant role, has gone through a turbulent period due to numerous allegations of abuse.
- Theologies and philosophies of figures like Luis Fernando Figari, founder of the SCV, have reportedly been passed on through the Movement of Christian Life (MCL) and other branches of the Sodalite Family, and are said to have had damaging effects on individuals like Carlos Díaz.
- The Bolivarian context, in particular the Pontifical Bolivarian University (UPB) College, plays a role in the story of Father Juan Carlos Rivva, as he was a prominent figure there and is alleged to have used his position to exercise control and psychological manipulation on young members.
