Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
Encyclopedia : S : SO : SOD : Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
Sodalitium Christianae Vitae ("Association, or Community, of Christian Life" in English) is a Society of Apostolic Life founded by Luis Fernando Figari in Lima, Perú, in 1971 and approved by Pope John Paul II in 1997. It comprises consecrated laymen and clergymen, called Sodalits, who make perpetual promises of celibacy and obedience, as well as a commitment to communication of goods and community life. The main accents of Sodalitium apostolate are: a preferential option for the poor, the promotion of youth and families, and the Evangelization of Culture.
Sodalit Family
Sodalitium is the nucleus of a spiritual family extended over the five Continents called the Sodalit Family. It comprises several branches among which the main ones are:
- The Christian Life Movement (CLM), an international ecclesial lay Movement that is open to people of all ages. It was approved by the Holy See in 1994. With more than forty thousand members, it is by far the largest branch of the Sodalit Spiritual Family.
- The Marian Community of Reconciliation, also known as the "Fraternas", a canonical association of consecrated lay women, on its way to becoming a Society for Apostolic Life.
- The Servants of the Plan of God, a canonical society of consecrated women who wear a habit. They are also in the process of becoming a Society for Apostolic Life.
Charism
According to their Constitutions, Sodalits "recognize in their lives the calling to follow the Plan of God, aiming to conform themselves with the Lord Jesus. The path they follow runs through Marian filial piety, in the way Christ instructed us from high on the Cross, and striving to be fully available for the announcement of the Gospel and the construction of a more just and reconciled world".
Other important aspects of their spirituality are:
- The promotion of communities of faith with a strong commitment to New Evangelization.
- The importance given to the Second Vatican Council and its significance for the Church and the world.
- The conviction that "Jesus not only reconciles man with the Father, but also reconciles man with himself and thus reveals his true nature… Jesus is the way which leads to full personal realization, culminating in the definitive and eternal encounter with God" (Ecclesia in America, 10).
- Active participation in the mission of the Church.
- An incarnational approach to the world.
- The belief that the identity crisis that affects many members of the Church calls for them to intensify their love for the Church, as well as to accept the integrity of faith and the guidance of the Teachings of the Church.
- A strong commitment to holiness in their daily lives.
Critics
Sodalitium was born in Peru during the 70's, a time of intense ideological debate in both the political and religious environment. Sodalitium as well as its Founder have been accused of being "ultra-Nationalist," both because of the Founder's previous involvement in a Populist political party founded by a former Military, General Manuel Odría, as well as for their critical position toward the then popular Theology of Liberation. These accusations are quite typical of the political rhetoric of that time. Sodalitium has never been involved in political activity, and has actively promoted the Social Doctrine of the Church. Sodalitium has been erroneously linked to the Peruvian branch of TFP (American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property), with some critics claiming that Figari was one of its founders. In fact, he was never affiliated to TFP, whose members considered Sodalitium and Figari as "disguised communists" due to their adherence to Catholic social teaching. Another allegation against Figari and the Sodalitium has been of "brainwashing." Most of such criticism came from Secularists impressed with the growth of Sodalitium. Some of these critics have later revoked these accusations, after scrutinizing Sodalitium's process of formation and discernment.
External links
- http://sodalitium.us/
- http://www.m-v-c.org/english/quees/index.html
- http://www.fraternas.org/english.htm
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.