He has published articles and books. Actually, he is considered one of the main Catholic thinkers in the Americas. He has strongly backed the ideal of reconciliation, as well as the organization of congresses on several occasions on the issue of reconciliation. He is fully convinced that the lay members of the Church, flowing from their rebirth in Lord Jesus, must answer the gift of Baptism and, according to their condition, actively assume their specific role in the mission of the Church and strive in their lives towards sanctity. After participating in politics’ and searching answers in philosophy, he began to walk through the path of the faith. His conversion process finds a culminating point in the foundation of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, in 1971. He calls that moment “baptism of a search”. In 1997, Sodalitium was approved by Pope John Paul II as a Society of Apostolic Life for laymen and priests. In 1974, he had begun the Immaculate Mary Association for women. After having participated in the first World Youth’s Day, in 1984, having pronounced the “Catechesis on Love”, in Saint Paul Outside the Walls, he founded the Christian Life Movement (CLM). It was in the year 1985. In 1994, the Holy See approved CLM as an International Lay Association of Faithful of pontifical right, also known as ecclesial movement. In 1991, Luis Fernando founded the Marian Community of Reconciliation, for women that discovered in their lives the call to a lay consecrated life. In 1995, he founded a Confraternity, Our Lady of Reconciliation. Years later, in 1998, he founded another religious association for women, the Servants of the Plan of God. All the members of these institutions share a common spirit and goals, and form a spiritual family: the Sodalite Family. It is constituted by men and women of every age, and is extended through out the Americas, as well as in some countries of Europe and in Philippines, in Asia. In 2002, Pope John Paul II named Luis Fernando Figari as Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. In 2004, in the last days of November, he had his last audience with H.H. John Paul II, in the Apostolic Palace. In 2005, after the Holy Father’s passing, he was present in St. Peter’s Basilica to pray before the Pope’s body, and in the funeral Mass held in St. Peter’s Square. He was really enthusiastic about the Pontificate of Pope John Paul, and had even written a book in 1979, at the beginning of the pontificate, called “John Paul II: Voice of Hope”. He was also present in St. Peter’s Square, with members of the community of the Sodalitium in Rome, at the moment when Pope Benedict XVI appeared to the world as the Successor of Peter. He joyfully assisted to the inaugural Mass of the Pontificate of H.H. Benedict XVI. He has written public letters to the Sodalit spiritual family on this historical and religious event, as well as on Pope Benedict’s inaugural Mass. On the eve of Pentecost 2006, on June 3, he was present in the Meeting of Pope Benedict XVI with members of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities, which gathered more than 250 thousand members from Movements all over the world. On that occasion Luis Fernando delivered the closing words of the encounter, addressing Pope Benedict XVI on behalf of the Movements and expressing their gratitude to the Holy Father.
More Info... Interviews Evangelization and Cultural Identity (html)
(or download the ebook version)
Humanitas Nº 32 (October - December 2003) - Year VIII, by Maria Isabel Irarrázaval Prieto Founder of Catholic movement works for unity in America
Denver Catholic Register, vol. LXXV, No. 45 – November 17, 1999 Teaching us to pray with Mary
Our Sunday Visitor – May 30, 1999
The Family, Path to Holiness and First Line of Evangelization
by Luis Fernando Figari
July 5, 2006 Closing words in meeting of Ecclesial Movements
by Luis Fernando Figari
June 3, 2006 John Paul II in everybody's heart
by Luis Fernando Figari Teresa of Calcutta, mother of the poor
by Luis Fernando Figari The Stigmatized
by Luis Fernando Figari Land of Christ and Mary
by Luis Fernando Figari "You are Peter"
by Luis Fernando Figari Twenty years ago
by Luis Fernando Figari The construction of a more human world: culture and labor
by Luis Fernando Figari Some of L.F.Figari's published works
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