During an emotional encounter Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica with 25,000 members of the Neocatechumenal Way, including its founders Kiko Arguello, Carmen Hernandez and Father Mario Pezzi, Pope Benedict XVI invited them to continue their intense work of evangelization in the world, in communion with the bishops of the world. “Your numerous and enthusiastic presence bears witness to the wonders carried by the Lord during the past four decades; it also indicates the commitment with which you desire to continue the way you have begun, a way of following Christ faithfully and bearing courageous witness to the Gospel,” the Pope said. It is “a path of humble acceptance of the guidance of pastors and of communion with all other components of the People of God,” he added.
The Pontiff went on to recall that “everything began here in Rome forty years ago, when the first communities of the Neocatechumenal Way were established at the parish of the Holy Canadian Martyrs.” “How much fresh apostolic energy has sprung forth both from priests and the laity!” the Pope exclaimed. “How many men and women, how many families that had abandoned ecclesial communion or the practice of the Christian life have been helped to encounter again the joy of the faith and the enthusiasm of Gospel witness through the proclamation of the kerygma and the itinerary of baptismal rediscovery!” he stated.
Pope Benedict XVI also noted that the recent approval of the Way’s statutes by the Pontifical Council for the Laity “is a seal of the esteem and benevolence with which the Holy See follows the work that the Lord has brought forth through your founders.”
“The Pope, the bishop of Rome, thanks you for your generous service to evangelization in this city and for your commitment to bringing the Christian proclamation to every environment,” he added.
The Pope went on to praise the work of the Neocatechumenal Way in 103 parishes throughout Rome, and he pointed out that “while I encourage you to continue in this commitment, I exhort you to intensify your adherence to all the directives of the Cardinal vicar, my direct collaborator in the pastoral governance of this diocese.”
“The organic integration of the Way into diocesan ministry and its unity with the other ecclesial realities will benefit the entire Christian people and will make the efforts of the diocese for a renewed proclamation of the Gospel in our city more fruitful.”
“Today an extensive missionary effort is needed that involves all the different ecclesial realities, which, each one conserving the originality of its charism, should work in harmony, trying to carry out that ‘integrated ministry’ that has already brought significant results,” the Pope stressed.
“While I thank you for the service you offer to the Church of Rome, I assure you of my prayers and my heartfelt blessing for all those present here and all the communities of the Neocatechumenal Way spread throughout the world,” the Pope said in conclusion.
The festive encounter, marked by the traditional hymns of the Neocatechumenal Way, culminated with a presentation by Kiko Arguello of new ‘comunitates in missio’—entire communities that have finished their formation and are open to being moved to other parishes of the diocese that are in need.
The Pope blessed the new missionaries and gave them a silver cross, dubbed the “mission cross,” as a sign of the mission entrusted to them.
The Neocatechumenal Way has 20,000 communities in more than 5,500 parishes in 120 countries throughout the world.
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(Source: CNA)
In my experience the NeoCats have a tremendous tradition of caring for the less stable members of their community. All credit to them for that.
ReplyDeleteBut it's the "community" that is the problem with its secretiveness, exclusiveness, conviction that everyone else is a second class citizen.
Whereas the term "Catholic" has been defined as "Here comes everybody". Hurrah! says I. That gives an opening for the likes of me.
I live in a diocese where even the "milk-and-water" Bishop had to ban the organization because their activities and attitudes were so divisive. They're pretty well the poor man's Opus Dei - NOT AS OTHER MEN ARE. Unfortunately.
Dear Neo-Cats - come down and join the riff-raff!
As a "Neo-cat" as you call me/us I can understand why you 'perceive' me/us as thinking ourselves better that other "so called christians" = elitism.
ReplyDeleteIf you had the time to investigate (which you do not appear to care much about the accuracy of your opinion) it is clear that through the 'Way' we come to realize our poverty (the dimension of sin in our lives -- something which in a PC/secularized world is no longer allowed to mention) in a greater depth than without the 'Way'; this realization gives birth to praise and gratitude (a gratefulness for having helped one see the reason for many sufferings in our lives)which is then manifested, in a concrete way, by a corresponding Love to the Church (concretely towards this official and accepted tool which is the 'Way')...
We are still sinners... no argument there... to call us arrogant is to state a fact of mankind as a whole... no news there... but to imply that somehow this 'act of God' which is to 'bring back people to the Church with renewed zeal' is divisive is to undermine or ridiculize a 'miracle' that is happening within the Church ... which by the way brings to mind the scolding words of Jesus "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
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Quote: but to imply that somehow this 'act of God' which is to 'bring back people to the Church with renewed zeal' is divisive is to undermine or ridiculize a 'miracle' that is happening within the Church ... which by the way brings to mind the scolding words of Jesus "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
ReplyDelete".
And what about the people who lost his/her faith after experiencing years and years of Neo Way?. What about the kill of the faith and innocence through years, steps of Neo Way, to have difficult experiences in Second Scrutinies, to be forced to be with other people of the community, the secretiveness, the 10% of the benefits of salaries' people....Why? Why?. Why don't Kiko and Carmen ask "Forgive us for quitting you the Faith". Why?. Explain me. It's really a pity when someone experienced the Neo Way and there is no love, but lots of sacrifices, money and so on... it's a pity...and the worse of all, in the name of the poor God!!. Yes, everybody is a sinner, but in the Bible, there is a text when they say the sins are should be corrected, that in the community someone should tell "hey, stop."
That's the problem. And please Kiko, don't tell me this is from the demon or whatever. No. We are humans. Can you accept Kiko Argüello and Carmen that there are people who lost their faith thanks to the Neo Way? (of course there are cases when it increases, I am realistic and I saw it.)