Argentina: Vatican suppresses the Religious Institute Miles Christi

The Dicasterio for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life of the Vatican decreed the suppression of the Religious Institute Miles Christi, founded in Argentina and that had been intervened in 2022.

“This decision was approved specifically by Pope Francis on February 6, 2025,” a Official communication released by the AICA agency.

The execution of the measure fell on Mons. Mauricio Landra, auxiliary bishop of Mercedes Luján, as a pontifical delegate appointed by the Vatican Dicastery.

“Taking into account the delicacy and complexity of the situation, so that everything is fulfilled with justice and charity, to execute the decision taken by the Holy See, we entrust this time to Mary Mother of the Church,” said Mons. Landra by communicating the decision.

Miles Christi was a clerical religious institute of diocesan law founded in 1994 in the Archdiocese of La Plata (Argentina).

In February 2020, its founder, Roberto Juan Yannuzzi, He was expelled from the clerical state After being convicted “of the crimes against the sixth commandment with adults, of acquittal of the accomplice and abuse of authority.”

At the end of 2022, Pope Francis appointed Pontifical Commissioner of the Institute to Mons. Jorge García Cuervaat that time Bishop of Río Gallegos and today Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

In December of the same year, the Archbishopric of La Plata – under the authority, at that time, of Mons. Víctor Manuel Fernández— determined to terminate the contract For which, for 16 years, the Miles Christi Institute was in charge of the San Luis Gonzaga parish and the San Francisco de Asís College.

The management of the parish and the school were then in the hands of the archbishopric.

A few days later, and after having received questions from the Institute about the measures taken, The Ecclesiastical Court of La Plata reported that there was “an investigation due to a complaint of sexual abuse filed against a priest Miles Christi.”

The complaint, the court said, was filed to the superior general of the religious institute the first semester, then derived to the archbishopric, extended and finally filed in the state justice.

In February 2023, Mons. García Cuerva, as a pontifical commissioner of the Miles Christi Institute, together with the Archbishopric of La Plata, communicated The decision to close the San Ignacio Centerwhich worked in the city of La Plata.