It lasted 10 years.
But on 20 January, in the presence of the Pope, the end of the institutional structuring of the Neocatechumenal Way will be announced.
On that day, the Pope will hold an audience in Paul VI Hall with thousands of members of the community founded in 1964 by Francisco Argüello (nicknamed “Kiko”) and Carmen Hernández.
This year, Pope will once again send numerous families on missions throughout the world.
The Vatican Insider has learned that at the end of December the Pontifical Council for the Laity approved the liturgical practice of the Neocatechumenal Way.
This is the end of a long journey.
Back in May 2008, the Council for the Laity definitively approved the statutes of the “Way” after 5 years ad experimentum.
Then, in December 2010, the same dicastery - with the careful work of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - approved the publication of the Catechetical Directory of the Neocatechumenal Way.
The final step along the “Way’s” journey involved liturgical celebrations, including some that were not strictly liturgical.
In fact, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments insisted on the need to differentiate Holy Masses from other meetings.
In December of 2005, the dicastery had asked the “Way” to respect the Church liturgy. In the name of Pope Benedict, Cardinal Francis Arinze asked, first of all, that the entire community accept and follow the liturgical books approved by the Church, “without omitting or adding anything,” adding back the Credo and the Agnus Dei.
Then he asked the “Way” to enter more fully into the lives of the parishes, to reserve the homily for the priest or deacon, and also to adopt the normal way for the entire Church to receive communion: standing.
Finally, he allowed the exchange of the sign of peace before the offertory.
These practices were adopted by the community, which thus has seen its long journey with Rome come to an end.
This does not mean, however, that Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, current Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, will not be careful in the future.