Dr Rocío Figueroa

BTh (Philosophy and Theology Pontifical Faculty of Theology and Civil de Lima) 
LTh (Philosophy and Theology Pontifical Faculty of Theology and Civil de Lima)
STD (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome)

Role at Te Kupenga: Lecturer in Theology

A Peruvian Catholic Theologian, Rocio 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.  Rocio’s present research focus is theological and pastoral responses for survivors of Church sexual abuse.

Publications

Peer-reviewed Books

• Rocío Figueroa, Una Amiga Santa. Concepción Cabrera de Armida. Mujer, Laica y Mística (Mexico: Editorial de la Cruz, 2021).
• Rocío Figueroa, Alianza de Amor – Fuentes, Ciudad de México: Alianza de Amor, 2015.
• Rocío Figueroa, ¿Pareja dispareja? Hombre y mujer, ¿iguales o diferentes? Puebla: UPAEP, 2013.
• Rocío Figueroa, Hacia la verdad de mí mismo, Ciudad de México: Alianza de Amor, 2011.
• Rocío Figueroa, C’è senso nel dolore? Riflessioni cristologiche, Roma: Circolo d’Incontro, 2004.
• Rocío Figueroa, ¿Hay sentido en el dolor? Reflexiones cristológicas, Lima: Círculo de Encuentro, 2004.

Peer-reviews Book Chapters and Edited Volumes

• Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, “Discipline, Obedience, and Punishments: Spiritual Abuse as an Enabler of Sexual Abuse within Sodalicio,” in 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
• Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, “¿Obedecer el Plan de Dios? El Abuso Espiritual de Religiosas,” in Daniel J. Fleming, James F. Keenan, and Hans Zollner (eds.), Hacer Teología y Ética Teológica Frente a la Crisis de los Abusos, 2024.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Forgiveness” and “Sacrifice,” in Emily Colgan and Caroline Blyth (eds.), Accompanying Survivors of Sexual Harm: A Toolkit for Churches, The Shiloh Project, 2022.
• Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, “Viendo su Inocencia veo mi Inocencia,” in Daniel Portillo (coord.), Abusos y Reparación: Sobre los Comportamientos no Sexuales en la Iglesia, Madrid: PPC, 2021, pp. 93–120.
• Rocío Figueroa and Philip Gibbs, “Catholics in Oceania,” in Kenneth Ross, Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, and Todd Johnson (eds.), Christianity in Oceania, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2021, pp. 190–205.
• 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.
  https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110699203-004
  Open Access Link
• 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.
  Read Chapter
• Rocío Figueroa, “Jesus Christ as a Victim: A Christological Light for Contemporary Survivors of Sexual Abuse,” in The Impact of Jesus of Nazareth: Historical, Theological and Pastoral Perspectives, Volume 2 – Social and Pastoral Studies, Sydney: SCD Press, 2021.
• Editor: Jayme R. Reaves, David Tombs, and Rocío Figueroa (eds.), When Did We See You Naked? Why Acknowledging Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse Matters, Edinburgh: SCM Press, 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Jesus Christ as a Victim: A Christological Light on Contemporary Survivors of Sexual Abuse. The Sodalicio Case in Peru,” in The Impact of Jesus of Nazareth: Historical, Theological and Pastoral Perspectives, Catholic Institute of Sydney and Sydney College of Divinity, 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa and Philip Gibbs, “Catholicism in the Pacific,” in Kenneth R. Ross and Todd M. Johnson (eds.), Christianity in Oceania, Edinburgh Companions to Global Christianity, 2020.
• Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, “Lived Religion and the Traumatic Impact of Sexual Abuse: The Sodalicio Case in Peru,” in T.R. Ruard Ganzevoort and Srdjan Sremac (eds.), Trauma and Lived Religion: Transcending the Ordinary, Amsterdam: Palgrave Macmillan (Palgrave Studies in Lived Religion and Societal Challenges), 2018, pp. 155–176.
• Rocío Figueroa, “El gran misterio,” in Jorge Navarro (ed.), Glosas a la Carta a las Familias, Puebla: UPAEP, 2015, pp. 144–157.
• Rocío Figueroa, “La dimensión laical y las estaciones del alma en Concepción Cabrera de Armida,” in Actas del Centenario de Alianza de Amor, Ciudad de México: Editorial de la Cruz, 2009.
• Rocío Figueroa, “La mujer creadora de una nueva cultura en tiempos de crisis,” in III Congreso Internacional de la Espiritualidad de la Cruz, Ciudad de México: Editorial de la Cruz, 2008.
• Rocío Figueroa, “La misericordia: Cammino di riconciliazione con Dio, con noi stessi e con gli altri in Santa Faustina Kowalska,” in Tempo di Misericordia, Associazione Dives in Misericordia, Salerno: Ediciones Granum Sinapsis, 2007, pp. 153–178.

Refereed Conference Proceedings

• Rocío Figueroa, “Kuibuka, a Program for Religious Sisters in Africa to become agents of change against violence”, in Gender-based violence in Jewish and Christian Religious Traditions (Women and Religion Unit), AAR, San Diego, 25 November 2024.
• Ana Lourdes Suarez, Rocío Figueroa, Veronique Lecaros, Raul Zegarra, “Book Panel: Abuse in the Latin American Church. An Evolving Crisis at the Core of Catholicism (Routledge 2024)”, Religions in the Latina/o Americas Unit, AAR, San Diego, 25 November 2024.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Sectas Destructivas en la Iglesia Católica”, in Aportes recientes en el análisis de abusos eclesiales: desafíos, avances y nuevas categorías, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Departamento de Teología, 16 November 2024 (via Zoom).
• Rocío Figueroa, “The Abuse of Nuns in the Catholic Church: Will it ever emerge from the shadows?”, Annual Conference of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion, Sydney, 30 November 2023.
• Rocío Figueroa and Aton Hungyo, “‘If People in the Church Knew’: Purity, Stigma and Victim-Blaming”, in Public Theologies in Vibrating Cities: Precious and Precarious, 3–6 October 2022, Curitiba, Brazil.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Women and the Church”, NZQA Scholarship Talks 2022, 21 September 2022.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Victims’ Voices from New Zealand”, 55th Annual Conference of the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand, 6 September 2022 (via Zoom).
• Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, “Obeying God’s Plan? The Spiritual Abuse of Nuns”, Faith Thinking, University of Otago (Zoom), 26 July 2022.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Latin American Theology and the Pandemic”, in Theologizing in the Shadow of the Pandemic, SCD Theology Research Network, Sydney College of Divinity, 20 May 2022.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Spiritual Abuse of Nuns”, Religion and Sexual Abuse Project Conference, University of California, Riverside, 5 March 2022.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Ecumenism” for Lay Leaders on Liturgy, Diocese of Auckland, 5 June 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “How to live Eucharistic Lives”, Eucharistic Convention, Auckland, 18–19 July 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Spiritual Abuse of Nuns”, in Spiritual Abuse: Coercive Control in Religions, University of Chester, 4 September 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Spiritual Abuse”, in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, organized by Voices of Faith, 29 November 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Sacrament of Eucharist and Reconciliation”, Diocese of Hamilton, 13 March 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Reparation and Forgiveness”, webinar for the Master and Diploma in Safeguarding in Ecclesial Environments, CEPROME, Mexico, 11–12 March 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Ecumenism: One Possible Answer for Contemporary New Zealand”, Catholic Diocese of Auckland – Commission for Ecumenism, 23 February 2021.
• Rocío Figueroa, “What Does it Mean to Live Eucharistic Lives?”, Worshipping Under Southern Skies webinar, Liturgy Office, Diocese of Auckland, 1 October 2020.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Abuso espiritual. De líderes abusivos a ministros auténticos”, webinar in the Diploma course by CEPROME, Pontifical Mexican University, 23 and 26 September 2020.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Authentic Ministry”, webinar for the Sustain Group of Women in Leadership, Laidlaw College, 19 August 2020.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Latin American Theology and the Pandemic”, seminar series Theologizing in the Shadow of the Pandemic, SCD Theology Research Network, Sydney College of Divinity, 21 August 2020.
• David Tombs and Rocío Figueroa, “A Missional Theology in Response to Sexual Violence”, ANZATS 2019, Auckland, 1–3 July 2019.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Concepción Cabrera, laica”, in Concepción Cabrera, en la intimidad con una mujer bienaventurada, Mexico City, 4 May 2019 (preparation for the Beatification of Concepción Cabrera).
• Rocío Figueroa, “Transforming Ministry Training after Leadership Abuses: Toward Authentic Ministry”, ANZATFE 2019, Auckland, 19–21 June 2019.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Overcoming Silence – Women’s Voices in the Catholic Abuse Crisis”, Voices of Faith, Rome, 27 November 2018.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Amoris Laetitia”, National Association of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools, Auckland, 13–14 August 2018.
• Rocío Figueroa, “The Experience of Shame”, symposium Theologians Facing Sexual Abuse, Centre for Theology and Public Issues and Good Shepherd College, 28 April 2018.
• Rocío Figueroa, “The Joy of Love: Amoris Laetitia”, Columba Centre, Auckland, 23 November 2017.
• Rocío Figueroa, “The Abused Body of Christ”, Catholic Institute of Sydney, The Impact of Jesus of Nazareth, Sydney, 28–29 September 2017.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Listening to Male Survivors of Church Sexual Abuse”, University of Otago, Dunedin, 11 April 2017.
• David Tombs and Rocío Figueroa, “Listening to Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: The Sodalicio Case in Peru”, Laidlaw College, Auckland, 7 April 2017.
• Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, “Telling Difficult Stories: Pastoral Care Issues for Male Survivors of Church-Related Sexual Abuse”, University of Otago, Dunedin, 3 December 2016, Chaplaincy Conference.
• Rocío Figueroa, “La reciprocidad, una clave hermenéutica para la terapia familiar sistémica”, Congreso Internacional de Terapia Sistémica Familiar, Guadalajara, 20 June 2014.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Mujer y varón en la familia”, II Jornadas CEFAS: Mujer y varón en la Familia, Puebla, 25 March 2014.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Los derechos de la mujer”, Foro del Día Internacional de la Mujer, DIF Estatal, Puebla, 8 March 2014.
• Rocío Figueroa, “La reciprocidad, una respuesta para la conciliación familia y trabajo”, DIF Estatal, Puebla, October 2013.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Mucho más que media naranja”, Instituto México de Puebla, Puebla, 6 June 2013.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Machismo y Liberación Femenina”, VI Congreso Internacional del Movimiento Hijos de Hogares Nuevos, Puebla, 12 October 2012.
• Rocío Figueroa, “Complementariedad mujer y hombre”, XII Encuentro Internacional de Centros de Cultura: Género y Feminismo en Perspectiva, Puebla, 8–10 November 2011.

Other Forms of Dissemination

Memberships

• Theological Consultant, Voices of Faith
  (Organization promoting women’s leadership in the Catholic Church)
  Website: https://voicesoffaith.org/about/
• Theological Consultant, Observatorio de la Vulnerabilidad, Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  Website: https://www.austral.edu.ar/comunicacion/observatorio-de-la-vulnerabilidad/
• Member, Shiloh Project: Rape, Culture, Religion and the Bible
  Website: https://shiloh-project.group.shef.ac.uk/current-members/
• Facilitator, “Sexual Violence Pilot Workshop” Saint John’s College, Auckland, November 9–10.