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Open access full-text. https://doi.org/10.1163/18785417-01001003 Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Recognising Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse: Responses from Sodalicio Survivors in Peru’, Religion and Gender 10.1 (June 2020), pp.... more
Open access full-text. https://doi.org/10.1163/18785417-01001003
Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Recognising Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse: Responses from Sodalicio Survivors in Peru’, Religion and Gender 10.1 (June 2020), pp. 57-75.

Abstract
This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews to explore responses to the idea of Jesus as victim of sexual abuse. The seven participants are adult male survivors of prior church sexual abuse, which they experienced as teenagers and young men. The perpetrators were leaders of the Sodalicio society in Peru. The article by Tombs (1999) on naming the torture of Jesus as sexual abuse was discussed, to assess whether participants see this as persuasive, and as meaningful for sexual abuse survivors, and important for the church. The interviews suggest that: (1) naming Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse was new to all participants; (2) most found the historical and biblical evidence to be persuasive; (3) the group were divided on whether this was of value to survivors of church related sexual abuse; (4) all of the group agreed that it was important for the wider church.
This article examines the perspectives of women in Oceania on the topic of conscience in dialogue with the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia. Firstly, we briefly explore the Catholic theological tradition concerning conscience,... more
This article examines the perspectives of women in Oceania on the topic of conscience in dialogue with the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia. Firstly, we briefly explore the Catholic theological tradition concerning conscience, including the role given to magisterial authority and its impact on women, especially after Humanae vitae. Then we elaborate on the approach taken by Pope Francis in Amoris laetitia and examine it in dialogue with the perspectives of Catholic women in Oceania based on two key accounts of Catholic women in the region, the International Survey of Catholic Women (ISCW) and the Oceania Discernment on the Working Document for the Continental Stage for the Synod on Synodality. We find that Catholic women in Oceania are contextually juxtaposing agency and compliance to doctrine and church law when they live out and express their understanding of freedom of conscience.
is a systematic theology lecturer in Catholic Theological College, Auckland. She has previously lectured and worked in Peru, Italy and Mexico. She worked in the Holy See as head of the women's section in the Pontifical Council for the... more
is a systematic theology lecturer in Catholic Theological College, Auckland. She has previously lectured and worked in Peru, Italy and Mexico. She worked in the Holy See as head of the women's section in the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Her present research focus is theological and pastoral responses for survivors of Church sexual and spiritual abuse. Ngalaton N. Hungyo is from an indigenous community in Northeast India. She is a doctoral student in the department of Christian Ethics at the United Theological College.
Este estudio propone que el término "abuso espiritual" es útil para comprender el maltrato sistémico experimentado por seis ex religiosas que pertenecían a la comunidad "Siervas del Plan de Dios" provenientes de Perú,... more
Este estudio propone que el término "abuso espiritual" es útil para comprender el maltrato sistémico experimentado por seis ex religiosas que pertenecían a la comunidad "Siervas del Plan de Dios" provenientes de Perú, Chile, Colombia y Ecuador. Nuestra intención es examinar el abuso espiritual manifiestado en símbolos, textos, enseñanzas, rituales, oraciones y en la forma de liderazgo. Se evaluará cómo el abuso espiritual puede contribuir a una visión distorsionada de la obediencia y a una cultura tóxica dentro de la vida religiosa.
This study proposes that the term ‘spiritual abuse’ is helpful for an understanding of systemic mistreatment experienced by six former-nuns who belonged to the community ‘Servants of God’s Plan’ (Siervas del Plan de Dios, or SPD) in Peru,... more
This study proposes that the term ‘spiritual abuse’ is helpful for an understanding of systemic mistreatment experienced by six former-nuns who belonged to the community ‘Servants of God’s Plan’ (Siervas del Plan de Dios, or SPD) in Peru, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. None of the nuns reported sexual abuse, so the focus in this chapter is on spiritual abuse not sexual abuse. However, when sexual abuse takes place within a religious institution, it is very common for spiritual abuse to be an enabling factor. A better understanding of spiritual abuse can therefore contribute to a better church response to sexual abuse.
During 2019 we conducted interviews with five women who have current or previous life experience in women’s religious orders (nuns). The women are from Argentina, France, Germany, Peru, and The Philippines. This led to Figueroa and Tombs... more
During 2019 we conducted interviews with five women who have current or previous life experience in women’s religious orders (nuns). The women are from Argentina, France, Germany, Peru, and The Philippines. This led to Figueroa and Tombs (2021) 'Seeing His Innocence, I See My Innocence', https://www.academia.edu/48959170/_Seeing_His_Innocence_I_See_My_Innocence_ This further chapter is focused on the three members of the group who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic priests during their time in the religious order. It asks the participants if their vocation and identity as a nun and person of faith influenced positively or negatively their response to the abuse and the impact in their lives. The chapter gives particular attention to: the systemic factors within the Church enabled the abuse; the impact that the abuse had on the women’s sense of self and self-worth; whether or not they viewed the suffering of Christ alongside their own suffering and how they understood this connection.
This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews to explore responses to the idea of Jesus as victim of sexual abuse. The seven participants are adult male survivors of prior church sexual abuse, which they experienced as... more
This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews to explore responses to the idea of Jesus as victim of sexual abuse. The seven participants are adult male survivors of prior church sexual abuse, which they experienced as teenagers and young men. The perpetrators were leaders of the Sodalicio society in Peru. The article by Tombs (1999) on naming the torture of Jesus as sexual abuse was discussed, to assess whether participants see this as persuasive, and as meaningful for sexual abuse survivors, and important for the church. The interviews suggest that: (1) naming Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse was new to all participants; (2) most found the historical and biblical evidence to be persuasive; (3) the group were divided on whether this was of value to survivors of church related sexual abuse; (4) all of the group agreed that it was important for the wider church.
Este estudio propone que el término “abuso espiritual” es útilpara comprender el maltrato sistémico experimentado por seis ex religiosas que pertenecieron a la comunidad “Siervas del Plan de Dios”(SPD) de Perú, Chile, Colombia... more
Este estudio propone que el término “abuso espiritual” es útilpara  comprender  el  maltrato  sistémico  experimentado  por  seis  ex religiosas que pertenecieron a la comunidad “Siervas del Plan de Dios”(SPD) de Perú,  Chile,  Colombia  y  Ecuador.  Hay  relativamente  pocostextos  sobre  el  tema,  lo  que  es  particularmente  significativo  ya  que  el abuso de religiosas ha recibido atención mundial en los últimos años. El artículo  pretende identificar  mejor  las  áreas  que  las  comunidadesreligiosas  necesitarían  abordar  para  trabajar  esta problemática  demanera positiva e  informad
During 2019 we conducted interviews with five women who have current or previous life experience in women’s religious orders (nuns). The women are from Argentina, France, Germany, Peru, and The Philippines. This led to Figueroa and Tombs... more
During 2019 we conducted interviews with five women who have current or previous life experience in women’s religious orders (nuns). The women are from Argentina, France, Germany, Peru, and The Philippines. This led to Figueroa and Tombs (2021) 'Seeing His Innocence, I See My Innocence', https://www.academia.edu/48959170/_Seeing_His_Innocence_I_See_My_Innocence_ This further chapter is focused on the three members of the group who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic priests during their time in the religious order. It asks the participants if their vocation and identity as a nun and person of faith influenced positively or negatively their response to the abuse and the impact in their lives. The chapter gives particular attention to: the systemic factors within the Church enabled the abuse; the impact that the abuse had on the women’s sense of self and self-worth; whether or not they viewed the suffering of Christ alongside their own suffering and how they understood this connection.
Polish Version: "Recognising Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse". This report identifies a number of publications: Tombs (1999), Heath (2011), Gafney (2013), Trainor (2014), which have independently and explicitly identified Jesus as a... more
Polish Version: "Recognising Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse".
This report identifies a number of publications:  Tombs (1999), Heath (2011), Gafney (2013), Trainor (2014), which have independently and explicitly identified Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse in published work. It also identifies other research which has indirectly connected the cross to sexual abuse, but not explicitly named Jesus as a victim. It then presents the initial findings from pilot interviews held during 2018 with a small group of adult male survivors on their responses to Tombs (1999) naming Jesus as sexually abused, and what this might mean for survivors and/or others in the church. Each member of the group experienced abuse by leaders of the Sodalicio society in Peru when they were teenagers or young men. Many of the same participants were interviewed in previous research examining the impact of the abuse, with particular attention to the spiritual impact (Figueroa and Tombs, 2016). The 2018 interviews suggest that: (1) most in the group found the historical evidence for naming Jesus as victim of sexual abuse to be persuasive; (2) the group were sharply divided on whether this was of direct value to survivors of sexual abuses; (3) all of the group indicated that regardless of its direct value to survivors recognising Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse could make a significant difference to how the church understands abuse and treats survivors.
Este informe identifica una serie de publicaciones -Tombs (1999), Heath (2011), Gafney (2013), Trainor (2014)- que han reconocido de forma independiente y explícita a Jesús como víctima de abusos sexuales. También identifica otras... more
Este informe identifica una serie de publicaciones -Tombs (1999), Heath (2011), Gafney (2013), Trainor (2014)- que han reconocido de forma independiente y explícita a Jesús como víctima de abusos sexuales. También identifica otras investigaciones que han vinculado indirectamente la cruz al abuso sexual, pero no han considerado explícitamente a Jesús como víctima. Seguidamente, presenta los hallazgos iniciales de las entrevistas piloto realizadas durante el año 2018 con un pequeño grupo de sobrevivientes varones adultos y sus reacciones a la idea de Tombs (1999) de señalar a Jesús como víctima de abuso sexual, y lo que esto podría significar para los sobrevivientes u otros miembros de la Iglesia. Todos los miembros del grupo sufrieron abusos por parte de líderes del Sodalicio en el Perú cuando eran adolescentes o jóvenes. Muchos de los participantes fueron entrevistados en investigaciones previas que examinaban el impacto del abuso, con particular interés en el impacto espiritual (Figueroa y Tombs, 2016). Las entrevistas de 2018 sugieren que: (1) la mayoría encontró que la evidencia histórica para afirmar que Jesús fue víctima de abuso sexual puede ser convincente; (2) el grupo estuvo claramente dividido sobre la posibilidad de que este tema pudiera servir directamente a los sobrevivientes de abusos sexuales; (3) todo el grupo indicó que, independientemente de su valor directo para los sobrevivientes, reconocer a Jesús como víctima de abuso sexual podría hacer una diferencia significativa en cuanto a la forma en la cual la Iglesia entiende el abuso y trata a los sobrevivientes.
This report identifies a number of publications: Tombs (1999), Heath (2011), Gafney (2013), Trainor (2014), which have independently and explicitly identified Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse in published work. It also identifies other... more
This report identifies a number of publications:  Tombs (1999), Heath (2011), Gafney (2013), Trainor (2014), which have independently and explicitly identified Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse in published work. It also identifies other research which has indirectly connected the cross to sexual abuse, but not explicitly named Jesus as a victim. It then presents the initial findings from pilot interviews held during 2018 with a small group of adult male survivors on their responses to Tombs (1999) naming Jesus as sexually abused, and what this might mean for survivors and/or others in the church. Each member of the group experienced abuse by leaders of the Sodalicio society in Peru when they were teenagers or young men. Many of the same participants were interviewed in previous research examining the impact of the abuse, with particular attention to the spiritual impact (Figueroa and Tombs, 2016). The 2018 interviews suggest that: (1) most in the group found the historical evidence for naming Jesus as victim of sexual abuse to be persuasive; (2) the group were sharply divided on whether this was of direct value to survivors of sexual abuses; (3) all of the group indicated that regardless of its direct value to survivors recognising Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse could make a significant difference to how the church understands abuse and treats survivors.
Open Access. This report presents the findings from a University of Otago research project. Summary The projects seeks to give voice to male victims of sexual abuse through interviews with eight young men involved with the Sodalicio... more
Open Access. This report presents the findings from a University of Otago research project.

Summary
The projects seeks to give voice to male victims of sexual abuse through interviews with eight young men involved with the Sodalicio movement in Peru. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of church-related sexual abuse on each of the interviewees and to identify the short and long-term psychological and spiritual consequences associated with it. We are grateful to all the interviewees for their willingness to participate in this project, and to everyone who helped us in this process in different ways. The limited scale of the project means that the findings cannot be readily generalised, but they support the widely shared conclusion that the damage caused by institutional sexual abuse is often traumatic and profound, and that this is frequently heightened when perpetrators have a religious standing and authority. Despite this, none of the interviewees was given effective pastoral support by the church for years, till the scandal exploded and reached the press. The impact on religious faith varied, and this partly reflected the degree to which the participant identified himself as religious. For participants who did not consider themselves religious, the abuse confirmed their aversion to religion. Participants who previously considered themselves religious, spoke of profound challenges to their faith. One described the impact as ‘catastrophic’ and felt abandoned by God as well as abandoned by the church. Another spoke of his faith being snatched away by a clerical penis. Recognition of different spiritual consequences should be included alongside attention to physical and psychological consequences. Understanding how the physical, psychological and spiritual often occur together, and can magnify each other, needs to be part of a holistic pastoral response to these traumatic experiences.
Full-text available on request or author manuscript for this chapter available http://hdl.handle.net/10523/12764 Ch DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91872-3_8 Bk DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91872-3 Rocío Figueroa and... more
Full-text available on request or author manuscript for this chapter available http://hdl.handle.net/10523/12764
Ch DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91872-3_8
Bk DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91872-3

Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Lived Religion and the Traumatic Impact of Sexual Abuse: The Sodalicio Case in Peru’ in Ruard R. Ganzevoort and Srdjan Sremac (eds.) Trauma and Lived Religion: Transcending the Ordinary. Palgrave Studies in Lived Religion and Societal Challenges. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019, pp. 155-76. ISBN 978-3-319-91871-6.

Abstract
This chapter explores the traumatic impact of sexual abuse on lived religion through a case study of the Sodalicio Society in Peru. It draws on recent interviews with eight male survivors, who are now middle-aged and who were abused when they were younger. The first section explains the background of the Sodalicio community. The second section offers an overview of existing literature on the spiritual consequences of clergy perpetrated sexual abuse. The third section explores the spiritual impact of psychological and spiritual abuse on the eight former members of Sodalicio. The fourth section will argue that recent work identifying Christ's own experience as a form of sexual abuse might offer a new vantage point to address the traumatic impact of sexual abuse.
Public access full-text of this chapter is available as a free sample download from the publisher https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/media/75046/print_ch-17_whendidweseeyounaked.pdf Publisher's website for book... more
Public access full-text of this chapter is available as a free sample download from the publisher https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/media/75046/print_ch-17_whendidweseeyounaked.pdf
Publisher's website for book https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334060321/when-did-we-see-you-naked
Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Seeing His Innocence, I See My Innocence’, in Jayme R. Reaves, Rocío Figueroa Alvear, and David Tombs. eds. When Did We See You Naked?’: Acknowledging Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse. London: SCM Press, 2021, pp.  287-312. ISBN 978-0-334-06032-1.

Abstract
This chapter offers findings from qualitative interviews undertaken during 2019 to explore responses to naming Jesus as a victim of sexual abuse. The participants are five female survivors of sexual abuse in Argentina, France, Germany, Peru and the Philippines. Four interviewees are former nuns, and the fifth is a current nun. They are referred to here by the pseudonyms Dina (Germany), Franca (France), Lilian (the Philippines), Lucia (Argentina) and Maria (Peru). The participants discuss their responses with particular attention to the difference that seeing Jesus in this way makes to them personally as a survivor, and the difference they believe it might make to the wider Church.
Full-text of published chapter is available in the OUR archive at http://hdl.handle.net/10523/13708. Publisher webpage for book https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110699203 Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Living in Obedience and Suffering... more
Full-text of published chapter is available in the OUR archive at http://hdl.handle.net/10523/13708.
Publisher webpage for book https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110699203

Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Living in Obedience and Suffering in Silence: The Shattered Faith of Nuns Abused by Priests’, in Mathias Wirth, Isabelle Noth and Silvia Schroer (eds), Sexualisierte Gewalt in kirchlichen Kontexten: Neue interdisziplinäre Perspektiven [Sexual Violence in the Context of the Church: New Interdisciplinary Perspectives] (Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter, 2022), pp. 45-74. ISBN 9783110699043

ABSTRACT: During 2019 we conducted interviews with five women who have current or previous life experience in women’s religious orders (nuns). The women are from Argentina, France, Germany, Peru, and The Philippines. An earlier chapter of findings was published as Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Seeing His Innocence, I See My Innocence’, in Jayme R. Reaves, Rocío Figueroa Alvear, and David Tombs. eds. When Did We See You Naked?’: Acknowledging Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse. London: SCM Press, 2021, pp.  287-312, https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/media/75046/print_ch-17_whendidweseeyounaked.pdf

This second chapter offers further findings from the three members of the group who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic priests during their time in the religious order. It asks the participants if their vocation and identity as a nun and person of faith influenced positively or negatively their response to the abuse and the impact in their lives. It gives particular attention to: the systemic factors within the Church enabled the abuse; the impact that the abuse had on the women’s sense of self and self-worth; whether or not they viewed the suffering of Christ alongside their own suffering and how they understood this connection.
Public access full-text Rocío Figueroa e David Tombs, ‘Obbedire al piano di Dio? L’abuso spirituale delle suore’, in La Tenda: in prospettiva persona (14 April and 1 May 2023)... more
Public access full-text Rocío Figueroa e David Tombs, ‘Obbedire al piano di Dio? L’abuso spirituale delle suore’, in La Tenda: in prospettiva persona (14 April and 1 May 2023) https://www.centropersonalista.it/latenda/2023/04/14/obbedire-al-piano-di-dio-labuso-spirituale-delle-suore/ and https://www.centropersonalista.it/latenda/2023/05/01/obbedire-al-piano-di-dio-labuso-spirituale-delle-suore-2/

Published in Italian from Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘El Abuso Espiritual de Religiosas. Caso Estudio: las Siervas del Plan de Dios’, in Teología y Vida, 63 (3), (October 20222) pp. 273-304; http://dx.doi.org/10.7764/TyV/633/5/399-424 (open access).

English translation
Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Obeying God’s Plan? The Spiritual Abuse of Nuns’ in Daniel Fleming, James Keenan, SJ, and Hans Zollner, SJ. (eds), ‘Doing Theology and Theological Ethics in the Face of the Abuse Crisis (Complete Issue)’, Journal of Moral Theology 3 (CTWEC Book Series, No. 3), pp. 140-57. https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.72062 (open access)
Full-text available on request. Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Discipline, obedience, and punishments: spiritual abuse as an enabler of sexual abuse within Sodalicio’, in Veronique Lecaros and Ana Lourdes Suárez (eds) Abuse in the Latin... more
Full-text available on request. Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Discipline, obedience, and punishments: spiritual abuse as an enabler of sexual abuse within Sodalicio’, in Veronique Lecaros and Ana Lourdes Suárez (eds) Abuse in the Latin American Church: An Evolving Crisis at the Core of Catholicism (London and New York: Routledge, 2024), pp. 177-195; https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003401513-16

Available for purchase: https://www.routledge.com/Abuse-in-the-Latin-American-Church-An-Evolving-Crisis-at-the-Core-of-Catholicism/Lecaros-Suarez/p/book/9781032512860

Abstract
This chapter examines Luis Fernando Figari's leadership of the Sodalicio community, and his role in the foundation of two related movements for women, the Marian Community of Reconciliation, and the Servants of God's Plan. It describes the conservative ethos that characterized Figari's vision for Sodalicio and the impact this had on the community's daily life. It then traces the revelations of abuses within Sodalicio that began after the death of Figari's close associate German Doig (2001), the investigation of Doig by Figueroa (from 2006), the crisis provoked by the book on Sodalicio by Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz, Half Monks, Half Soldiers (2015), and the subsequent findings of three commissions (the Ethics Commission 2016, the Experts Commission 2017, and the Congressional commission 2019), which recorded evidence of abuses within Sodalicio. The Ethics Commission spoke to the undue emphasis that Sodalicio placed on discipline, obedience, and punishments. We argue that the sexual abuses perpetrated by Figari, Doig, and others demonstrate how sexual abuse can be enabled and sustained by spiritual abuse.