Currículum
- 22 years of research experience
- PhD in Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome
- Licentiate in Pastoral Theology, Facultad Pontificia y Civil de Lima, Peru
- Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, Facultad Pontificia y Civil de Lima, Peru
Professional positions held
2017-Present Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Catholic Theological College, Auckland New Zealand2016-2018 External Researcher, Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago, New Zealand
2013-2015 Project Coordinator, Learn and Grow social project, UPAEP University, Puebla, Mexico
2014 Lecturer in Theology, University Anahuac, Puebla
2012-2013 Lecturer in Theology, University UPAEP, Puebla-Mexico
2006-2009 Responsible for Woman’s section, Pontifical Counsel for Laity, Vatican
2002-2006 Lecturer in Dogmatic Theology, Institute for Religious Sciences, Salerno, Italy
2002-2009 Lecturer in Dogmatic Theology, Seminary “Giovanni Paolo II,” Salerno, Italy
1991-1998 General Superior, Marian Community of Reconciliation
Current Research and Specializations
Areas of Specialization
- Theological and pastoral responses to survivors of sexual and spiritual abuse in the Church
- Catholic women and Religious Sisters
Research Project (2024–2026): Abuse of Religious Sisters in Africa
- Funding: Missio-Aachen
- Aim: To explore the psychological, sexual, and spiritual abuse experienced by women religious in Africa, with a focus on its impact on their faith, identity, and overall well-being
- Research Team: Mumbi Kigutha, Dr. Katy Shirima, Dr. Caroline Mbonu, Lisa Spriggens
Professional distinctions and memberships (including honours, prizes, scholarships, boards or governance roles, etc)
2023-Present: Co-Founder and Research Manager, Kuibuka Workshops: Safeguarding Sisters in Africa- Locations: Nairobi (2023), Ghana (2024), Zambia (2025), Rwanda (2025) https://kuibuka.org/
2016: Chaplain, Iona Hospital, Oamaru, New Zealand
2013-2015 Board Member of Voices of Faith (Rome) - https://www.voicesoffaith.org/about
2006-2009: Head of Section on Women’s Issues, Pontifical Council for the Laity, Vatican
2002: Recipient of Doctoral Scholarship, Adveniat
Research publications and dissemination
Peer-reviewed journal articles:2025: Rocio Figueroa and Lisa Spriggens “New Zealand’s Royal Commission and a Trauma Informed Church”, Anglican Journal of Theology in Aotearoa and Oceania, 4/1, Autumn (2025) 15-29 Open Access: Anglican Journal of Theology in Aotearoa and Oceania | Volume 4 | Issue 1 | Autumn 2025 | John Kinder Theological Library
2024: Rocio Figueroa, “New Zealand Royal Commission and the Catholic Church“, Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand, Proceedings (2024) 32-46.
2024: Rocio Figueroa, “Workshops mit Ordensschwestern In Afrika zur Bekampfung von sexuellem und spirituellem Missbrauch” in: Lebendige Seelsorge, 3 (2024), 171-175.
2023: Rocío Figueroa and Tracy McEwan “Conscience in Amoris Laetitia and The Responses of Women in Oceania” Marriage, Families & Spirituality, Intams, 29, (2023) 171-183.
2023: Rocío Figueroa, Aton Hungyo, and David Tombs, “‘If people in the church knew’: Purity, Stigma, and Victim-Blaming", The Canonist Vol 14 No 2, (2023) pp. 280-291. http://hdl.handle.net/10523/16572; https://clsanz.catholic.org.au/product/the-canonist-vol-14-no-2-2023/
2023: Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Disciplina, Obediencia y Abuso en el Sodalicio’, Concilium 402 (4) (September 2023), pp. 51-62.
2023: Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Discipline, Obedience and Abuse in the Sodalitium, Concilium 402 (4) (October 2023), pp. 46-55. English
2023: Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Disciplina, obbedienza e abuso nel Sodalizio di Vita Cristiana’, Concilium 402 (4), pp. 66-77. Italian
2023: Rocío Figueroa and David Tombs, ‘Disziplin, Gehorsam und Missbrauch imSodalicio’, in Concilium 402 (4) (Oktober 2023), pp 389-397. German
2022: Rocio Figueroa Alvear, “Latin American Theology and the Pandemic”, Colloquium 54-2 (2022).
2022: Rocío Figueroa y David Tombs, “El abuso espiritual de religiosas. Caso de estudio: Siervas del Plan de Dios”, Teología y Vida, 63/3 (2022) 399-424. http://dx.doi.org/10.7764/TyV/633/5/399-424
2022: 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/
2022: 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 (2023) (CTWEC Book Series, No. 3), pp. 140-57. https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.72042
2020: Figueroa R. – Tombs, D., ‘Recognising Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse. Responses from Sodalicio Survivors in Peru’, Religion and Gender 10 (2020) 1-19.
2019: Figueroa Alvear, R., & Tombs. D., Recognizing Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse: Responses from Sodalicio Survivors in Peru (‘When Did We See You Naked?’ No. 3). (D. Tombs, Ed.). Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/8976
2018: Figueroa, R., ‘La reciprocità, una chiave ermeneutica’, Prospettiva Persona, 26 n. 1(January-March, 2018): 73-79.
2017: Figueroa Alvear, R., & Tombs. D., ‘Listening to male survivors of church sexual abuse: Voices from Sodalicio abuses in Peru. Canonist, 8(1), 135-167.
2010: Figueroa, R., ‘Il cristocentrismo rivela i valori propriamente femminili’, Bolletino di Dottrina Sociale della Chiesa', VI (2010), pp. 47-50.
2003: Figueroa, R., ‘La peregrinación del Hermano Bartolomé Lorenzo de José de Acosta’, Vida y Espiritualidad, enero-abril 2003.
Peer reviewed book chapters, books edited
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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.