The  CLM-USA (CLM) Legacy

Witness to Grace Amid Human Fragility: A Reflection on the Christian Life Movement (CLM)

In January 2025, the Holy See issued a decree formally suppressing the Movimiento de Vida Cristiana (Christian Life Movement, CLM), an ecclesial reality founded in Peru in 1985 by Luis Fernando Figari. The decision, rooted in grave concerns regarding governance failures and credible reports of abuse by the founder and other leaders, marked a definitive canonical conclusion to the movement’s institutional life in the Church.

Yet, for thousands of Catholic faithful who encountered Christ through the life and mission of the CLM, this moment also calls for a recognition of the grace that was genuinely experienced within its charism—despite the serious faults of some of its founders and early leaders.

A Path to Christ for Many

Throughout its nearly four decades of existence, the CLM became a spiritual home for lay men and women, young people, families, and religious who desired to follow Christ with generosity and depth. For many, it was the first encounter with a living Church, where doctrine and spirituality were taught with clarity, where the liturgy was celebrated with reverence, and where a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was actively nurtured.

The movement emphasized:

  • A deep Eucharistic life, centered on daily Mass and adoration;

  • Devotion to Our Lady and the saints;

  • A life of prayer, study, and apostolic service;

  • A strong sense of community and Christian friendship;

  • The call to holiness in ordinary life, as laypersons, professionals, spouses, or religious.

These elements formed a generation of Catholics who today continue to serve the Church in parishes, dioceses, missions, and religious vocations around the world.

Fraternal Communities and Apostolic Zeal

The CLM also fostered fraternal small groups, pilgrimages, youth retreats, and mission work that reached the poor and the marginalized. Many were moved to pursue a vocation, to serve in humanitarian missions, or to renew their marriage and family life through the movement’s pastoral formation.

It is undeniable that much good was lived and shared—often through the generous efforts of ordinary members who acted in good faith, without knowledge of or participation in the failings now brought to light.

A Church that Purifies, Preserves, and Accompanies

The suppression of the CLM reflects the Church’s commitment to justice, transparency, and healing. At the same time, the Church also teaches that “the Spirit blows where it wills” (Jn 3:8), and we must not forget that the Holy Spirit can act even through flawed instruments, as seen throughout salvation history.

What endures from this chapter is not an institution, but the faith of its people—their love for Christ, their fidelity to the Church, and their continued desire to build the Kingdom of God in truth and humility.

Conclusion: Moving Forward with Gratitude and Hope

As the Church moves to accompany survivors and rebuild trust, it is equally important to honor the sincere lives of faith that blossomed in the midst of this movement. Many of its former members continue to serve with generosity and fidelity in their parishes, religious congregations, and apostolic endeavors. Their witness speaks to a deeper truth: that grace works even amid human weakness, and that God writes straight with crooked lines.

Let us give thanks for the good that was lived, lament the harm that was done, and entrust the future to the hands of Divine Providence, with hearts open to healing, justice, and renewal in Christ.

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