“The Neocatechumenal Way does great good in the Church” - Pope Francis
It is so easy, really. We Catholics follow what the Pope says. And only last month, on March 6th to be precise, Pope Francis endorsed again, publicly and powerfully, the Neocatechumenal Way “I want to confirm your call, support your mission and bless your charism”. Can he be stronger and clearer?
On that day, Pope Francis thanked the Way’s initiators, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernandez who sat in the front row alongside Fr. Mario Pezzi and four cardinals (Vallini, Filoni, Rouco Varela and Cordes) “for the great benefit they bring to the Church through the Way”.
“I always say,” the Pope added amid warm applause, “that the Neocatechumenal Way does great good in the Church.”The Pope recalled how one of the fruits of the Way is the missio ad gentes, “formed by a priest and four or five families, with children including grown-up ones, … with a mandate to evangelize non-Christians. Non-Christians who’ve never heard about Jesus Christ and the many non-Christians who’ve forgotten who Jesus Christ was, who is Jesus Christ: baptized non-Christians but who have forgotten their faith because of secularization, worldliness and many other things. Re-awaken that faith!”
The Pope stressed that the Neocatechumenal Way is “a true gift of Providence to the Church of our time, as my predecessors have already stated. … It is based on the three dimensions of the Church which are the Word, Liturgy and Community. So obedient and constant listening to the Word of God; the Eucharistic celebration in small community after the first Vespers of Sunday, the family celebration of lauds on Sunday with all the children gathered round and sharing their faith with other brothers and sisters are at the origin of the many gifts the Lord has given to you as well as the many vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.”
Years before, Blessed Pope Paul VI saw the Neocatechumenal Way as a genuine fruit of the Council: "How much joy and how much hope you give us by your presence and by your activity... To live and to promote this re-awakening is what you call a way "after baptism", which will be able to renew in today's Christian communities those effects of maturity and deepening that, in the primitive Church, were realized by the period of preparation for Baptism.”
Saint Pope John Paul II was even more explicit. “Among the realities generated by the Spirit in our days, figure the Neocatechumenal Communities, initiated by Mr. K Argüello and Ms. C Hernandez (Madrid, Spain), the effectiveness of which for the renewal of Christian life was acclaimed by my predecessor, Paul VI.
“These Communities make visible in the parishes the sign of the missionary church and they strive to open a way for the evangelization of those who have almost abandoned theChristian life, offering them an itinerary of a catechumenal type which goes through all those stages that the catechumens went through in the primitive church before receiving the sacrament of Baptism: it brings them back to the Church and to Christ.”
“The announcement of the Gospel, the witnessing in small communities and the Eucharistic celebration in groups is that which enables the members to put themselves at the service of the renewal of the Church.”
“I acknowledge the Neocatechumenal Way as an itinerary of Catholic formation, valid for our society and for our times.”
Do the Popes sanction every ecclesial reality in these glowing terms? Obviously not.
Is Archbishop Apuron wrong in believing and promoting the Neocatechumenal Way in Guam? Again, the answer is a simple no. He is obeying the Pope. Since when is obeying the Pope wrong?
In 1990 Saint John Paul II recommended the Bishopsworldwide to endorse and assist the Neocatechumenal Way in their countries. “It is therefore my wish that the Brothers in the Episcopate - together with their presbyters - value and support (italics are mine) this work for the new evangelization (referring specifically to the Neocatechumenal Way) so that it may be implemented according to the lines proposed by its initiators, in the spirit of service to the local Ordinary and in communion with him in the context of the unity of the local church and the universal Church.”
The Popes are clear. Let us follow their lead.
Tim Perez
Pago Bay
part 1
ReplyDeleteDear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning to you all! And thank you, thank you so much for coming to this meeting.
The Pope’s task, the task of Peter, is to confirm his brothers in the faith. Thus, you too wanted by this gesture to ask that the Successor of Peter confirm your call, support your mission, bless your charism. And today I confirm your call, I support your mission and I bless your charism. Do I do it because he [pointing to Kiko] paid me? No! I do it because I want to. You will go forth in the name of Christ throughout the world to bring his Gospel: Christ goes before you, Christ accompanies you, Christ brings to fulfillment that salvation of which you are bearers!
Together with you I would like to greet the Cardinals and Bishops who accompany you today and who, in their dioceses, support your mission. In particular I greet the founders of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, as well as Fr Mario Pezzi: I also express my appreciation to them and my encouragement for how much good they are doing for the Church through the Way. I always say that the Neocatechumenal Way does great good for the Church.
As Kiko said, our meeting today is a missionary send-off, in obedience to what Christ asked of us and what we have heard in the Gospel. And I am particularly glad that this mission of yours is carried out thanks to Christian families who, gathered into one community, have the mission of showing signs of faith that draw men and women to the beauty of the Gospel, according to the words of Christ: “Love one another as I have loved you; by this love they will know that you are my disciples” (cf. Jn 13:34), and “that you may all be one and the world will believe” (cf. Jn 17:21). These communities, called by the Bishops, are formed by a priest and four or five families, some even with older children, and they constitute a “missio ad gentes”, with a mandate to evangelize non-Christians. Non-Christians who have never heard of Jesus Christ, and so many non-Christians who have forgotten who Jesus Christ was, who Jesus Christ is: non-Christians who were baptized, but secularization, worldiness and many other causes have made them forget the faith. Wake up that faith!
part 2
ReplyDeleteToday, “I want to confirm your call, support your mission and bless your charism. I’m doing that not because I’ve been paid to: No! (laughs) I’m doing it because I want to,” Francis said amid applause, before going on to bless priests and families about to set off on evangelisation missions. “You will go forth in the name of Christ into the world to bring His Gospel: Christ will precede, Christ will accompany and Christ will fulfil the salvation of which you are bearers!” Francis thanked the Way’s founders, Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez who sat in the front row alongside Fr. Mario Pezzi and four cardinals (Vallini, Filoni, Rouco Varela and Cordes) “for the great benefit they bring to the Church through the Way”. “I always say,” the Pope added amid more applause, “that the Neocatechumenal Way does great good in the Church. Missionary communities, the Pope recalled, “are formed by a priest and four or five families, with children including grown-up ones, and are a missio ad gentes, with a mandate to evangelize non-Christians. Non-Christians who’ve never heard about Jesus Christ and the many non-Christians who’ve forgotten who Jesus Christ was, who is Jesus Christ: baptized non-Christians but who have forgotten their faith because of secularization, worldliness and many other things. Re-awaken that faith!” The Pope stressed that today’s world “badly needs this great message.” “How much solitude, how much suffering, how much distance from God in the many peripheries of Europe and America, and in many cities of Asia! Today, in every latitude, humanity greatly needs to hear that God loves us and that love is possible! These Christian communities, thanks to you missionary families, have the essential task of making this message visible. And what is this message? “Christ is risen, Christ lives. Christ lives amongst us”.”
part 3
ReplyDeleteDear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning to you all! And thank you, thank you so much for coming to this meeting.
The Pope’s task, Peter’s task, is to confirm brothers in the faith. So with this gesture, you also wished to ask the Successor of Peter to confirm your call, to support your mission, to bless your charism. And today I confirm your call, I support your mission and I bless your charism. I do not do so because he [pointing at Kiko] paid me, no! I do so because I want to do it. You will go in Christ's name to the whole world to bring his Gospel: Christ precedes you, Christ accompanies you, Christ will bring to fulfilment the salvation of which you are bearers!
Together with you I greet all the Cardinals and Bishops accompanying you today, who support your mission in their dioceses. In particular, I greet the initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernandez, together with Father Mario Pezzi: I express to them also my appreciation and encouragement for what they are doing, through the Way, for the benefit of the Church. I always say that the Neocatechumenal Way does great good to the Church.
part 4
ReplyDeleteVatican City (AsiaNews) - "If we do not want stagnant water" in the Church, then we "must move from a pastoral ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry", which is what the Neocatechumenal Way has been doing "for years".
This is how Pope Francis expressed his encouragement to the communities of the Way describing them as "a true gift of Providence to the Church of our times", as he received them this morning in the Paul VI. The occasion marked the Holy Father's commissioning of their mission ad gentes to the nations of the world.
During the meeting the families who will go out on mission were presented as they prepare to leave for their assigned country, which include France, Germany, Ukraine, Kosovo, China, Vietnam and Papua New Guineas but to name a few.
Firstly, Pope Francis reaffirmed his desire to "to confirm your call, to support your mission, to bless your charism" and expressed his "appreciation" and "gratefulness" to the "initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, together with Father Mario Pezzi, the great benefit the Way has brought to the Church. He said "I always say that the Neocatechumenal Way does great good in the Church".
“A true gift of Providence … that does great good to the Church of today.” With these words Pope Francis reiterated his validation to the members of the Neocatechumenal Way who crowded the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Friday, March 6.
ReplyDeleteThe occasion was the blessing of the pope to the 220 families of the Way, ready to go on a mission to all nations, from Thailand to Papua New Guinea, from Australia to France, from Ukraine to Vietnam.
There are already 1,100 families with their 4,600 children spread throughout the five continents. They are fathers, mothers and children who felt called to leave home and establish themselves in areas where Jesus Christ and his Gospel have not yet found roots in the local culture or where Christianity is not as vibrant as before.
‘Reawaken faith’
One could perceive the joy of Pope Francis who embraced – literally — these Neocatechumens who plainly exhibit a generosity and love for Christ that is admirable. According to Vatican Radio, he was full of warmth and gratitude to the Neocatechumenal Way that matures this type of vocation, the “missio ad gentes”: “You have received the strength to leave everything behind and set off for distant lands through a process of Christian initiation, experienced and lived in small communities, where you have rediscovered the immense riches of your Baptism. This is the Neocatechumenal Way, a true gift of Providence to the Church of our times.”
Indeed, these families are the fruit of the tree that is the Neocatechumenal Way.
Media accounts said that before he gave his speech, Pope Francis listened to the presentations by the initiator of the Way, Kiko Argüello. These missio ad gentes are “communities, called by the bishops, formed by a priest and four or five families, with children including grown-up ones, with a mandate to evangelize non-Christians”. They ‘relocate’ to these places with a mission, namely to announce the Resurrection of Jesus, the message of which the world today, says the Pope, desperately needs: “Today’s world badly needs this great message. How much solitude, how much suffering, how much distance from God in the many peripheries of Europe and America, and in many cities of Asia! Today, in every latitude, humanity greatly needs to hear that God loves us and that love is possible! These Christian communities, thanks to you missionary families, have the essential task of making this message visible. And what is this message? “Christ is risen, Christ lives. Christ lives amongst us… Reawaken that faith!”
"Pope Francis meets with members of the Neocatechumenal Way in Rome and with Micha and Celina from my community of St. Joachim that will be on mission"
ReplyDeletePope Francis met with thousands of members of the Neocatechumenal Way, including 200 missio ad gentes families who were sent to preach in secularized areas around the world.
As the Holy Father entered the Paul VI Audience, he was greeted enthusiastically by those present. In his address, the Pope thanked them for their presence in which he wished to fulfill his task to "confirm brothers in the faith."
"With this gesture, you […] wished to ask the Successor of Peter to confirm your call, to support your mission, to bless your charism," he said.
"And today I confirm your call, I support your mission and I bless your charism. I do not do so because he [pointing at Kiko] paid me, no! I do so because I want to do it. You will go in Christ's name to the whole world to bring his Gospel: Christ precedes you, Christ accompanies you, Christ will bring to fulfilment the salvation of which you are bearers!"
Expressing his gratitude to the initators of the Neocatechumenal Way (Kiko Argüello, Carmen Hernandez and Fr. Mario Pezzi), the Pope encouraged their mission in dioceses around the world.
"I always say that the Neocatechumenal Way does great good to the Church," he said.
The Neocatechumenal Way is a way of Christian initiation that develops a pastoral work of evangelization for adults. A post baptismal catechumenate. This evangelization is bringing to a living faith many of our brothers and sisters who today live a Christianity of habit, and is giving to many people submerged in a secularized world the possibility of meeting Our Lord Jesus Christ through Christian communities which live their faith at an adult level.
ReplyDeleteThe Neocatechumenal Way is a group of people who wish to rediscover and to live Christian life to the full; to live the essential consequences of their Baptism, by means of a Neocatechumenate divided into different stages, like that of the early Church, but adapted to their condition as baptized persons.
The Neocatechumenal Way began in Madrid, Spain in 1962 among the slum dwellers of the shanty town “Palomeras Altas”. Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez had gone there, called by the Lord to live their Christianity among the poor, really sharing the lives of those who, in their misery, bear the consequences of the sins of our society. They were then asked, by the very people with whom they were living, to proclaim to them the good news of our Savior Jesus Christ. Through the poor of the shanty town the basis of the Neocatechumenate was born where: one discovers their baptism by walking a way based on a tripod: word, liturgy, and community.
Pope Francis (Evagelli Gaudium – “There is a need for a pastoral and missionary conversion, which cannot leave things as they presently are”. “I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the “Church’s journey in years to come. It is a heartfelt appeal to all baptized persons to bring Christ’s love to others, “permanently in a state of mission” conquering “the great danger in today’s world”. That of an individualist “desolation and anguish”.)
It is so predictable.
ReplyDeleteWhenever an article appears on PDN that favors the Neocatechumenal Way, Tim Rohr instantly swoops in the online comment section of the paper and tries to denigrate the content of the article or the reputability of the author.
Then Chuck White follows in the same line…
Occasionally Jose Martinez follows in the same line...
Then normally silence. No one bothers anymore to answer back.
This just happened again after Tim Perez published his article on PDN recently
Boring. Tedious. Monotonous. These anti-everything people are so dull.
Out of curiosity, is Tim Perez' parents a NEO? Or, are majority of Tim's family a NEO. If so, this will strengthen his message.
ReplyDelete