Oral Tradition

Protestants would often say "where is this or that in Scripture?"  Sacred Scripture is their sole authority.  The slogan of the Protestants are "If it is not in scripture, then it was made up by men."  Catholics, on the other hand, believe in Sacred Tradition.  There are things that were handed down to the Church that were never written down by the Apostles.  These traditional beliefs and practices that the Church have kept are just as valid as Scripture.  For example, the belief of the Immaculate Conception is a belief that was held for thousands of years despite that it was not written in the Holy Bible.  Whatever the Apostles spoke about was put into practice and faithfully kept by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has always believed in both Sacred Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition.   

 Keeping in touch with the Pope ensures that one is in communion with the Pope, the Vicar of Christ.   Communion with the Pope is extremely important, which is why Kiko Arguello does not avoid the Pope. The Neocatechumenal Way has the blessings of five popes.  Our Statutes and Catechetical Directory have been approved by the Holy See. 

Problems that existed in the past have been corrected.  The older communities walking in the Way already knew that at one time, the members received the Body of Christ sitting down.  Later, we were told by the Team Catechists to receive the Body of Christ standing up.   And of course, everyone knows from the media that Kiko Arguello (the Founder of the Way) consistently meet and corresponds with the Pope, which ensures the communion between the Pope and the Neocatechumenal Way. Communion with the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ and Successor of the Apostle Peter, is the most important.  If one is in communion with the Pope, one is then in communion with the entire Catholic Church, which also includes the Bishops, priests, deacons, and teaching Magisterium.

Former Pope Benedict XVI did request an investigation on alleged abuses of the Way.  Nothing ever came from those investigations.  By the time Francis I took over as Pope, he finally ceased the investigations.  Could it be because the alleged abuses were determined to be unfounded afterall?