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Church Gives Final OK to Neocatechumenate Cardinal Presents Founders With Approval Decree By Jesús Colina VATICAN CITY, JUNE 13, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The definitive approval of the Neocatechumenal Way's statutes is a moment of joy, both for the ecclesial group and for the Church itself, said Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko. The president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity said this when he gave the official approval decree today to the founders of the Neocatechumenate, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, with Father Mario Pezzi. At the end of the ceremony, Cardinal Rylko explained the meaning of the recognition: "It signifies the confirmation on the part of the Church of the authenticity and genuine character of the charism found in its origin, in the life and in the mission of the Church." The cardinal told those present at the ceremony: "The Way already has a long history in the Church -- more than 40 years -- and brings to the Church's life many fruits, many profoundly changed lives, many rebuilt families, many religious and priestly vocations, and much commitment in favor of the new evangelization. "Therefore, it is a moment of great joy for the Church, and a moment of great joy for the ecclesial reality that it [should receive] this recognition." Cardinal Rylko offered three specific guidelines to members of the Neocatechumenal communities: obedience to bishops, acknowledgement of the role of the presbyter, and fidelity to the liturgical texts of the Church. In his response, Argüello thanked Benedict XVI, and Popes John Paul II and Paul VI. The latter, he recalled, said to him on one occasion: "Be humble and faithful to the Church and the Church will be faithful to you." For her part, Hernández stressed that what is important is not the Neocatechumenal Way, but the Church, and invited the members of this movement of Christian initiation to practice humility. Afterward, the Way's initiators gave a press conference to manifest their gratitude to the Holy See. It was held at the diocesan center of the Neocatechumenal Way, next to the Vatican. Argüello revealed that at present, the Holy See is studying the texts of the Way's catecheses, so that they can be made public and distributed to parishes worldwide. According to Arguello, the only significant change that the definitive statues introduced in regard to the liturgy affects the way of receiving Communion. In keeping with the communities' usual practice, Communion will continue to be received under both species and will be distributed by ministers in the assembly, instead of the procession of the faithful typical in the Roman rite. This practice is kept in the definitive statutes, but for the reception of the Host, the faithful will stand before the minister. This is not the case in receiving the Chalice, which will continue to be received seated, to avoid spilling the precious Blood. Moreover, the kiss of peace will retain its place following the Prayer of the Faithful and before the beginning of the Eucharistic liturgy, though procuring that this moment not break the order and recollection of the assembly. This final approval of the statues follows an approval "ad experimentum" granted in 2002.

From this morning's Zenit news (Thursday 28 June)

 

Neocatechumenal Way´s Statute Approved by Vatican

Spiritual Renewal Movement Was Founded in Spain in 1964

 

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 26, 2002 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican announced the approval of the Statute of the Neocatechumenal Way, the spiritual renewal movement born in the mid-1960s in Spain.

The Pontifical Council for the Laity in a statement said the official decree of the statute's approval will take place this Friday at the council's headquarters.

The Neocatechumenal Way has spread to more than 105 nations. It includes 1,500 communities in 800 dioceses and 5,000 parishes. It has opened some 40 diocesan seminaries.

Among those who will attend Friday's ceremony are the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way team: founders Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, and Italian Father Mario Pezzi.

Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the pontifical council, will preside over the event that also will be attended by some 40 catechists of the Neocatechumenate, as it is also known.

The Vatican statement released today explained that this step is "an event of notable ecclesial importance, as the Neocatechumenal Way, which arose in Spain in 1964, has spread at present to more than 100 countries of the world, some of them mission territories."

"In the line of renewal inspired by Vatican Council II, the Way places itself at the service of diocesan bishops and parish priests as a way to rediscover the sacrament of baptism, and for ongoing education in the faith," the document continues.

The Way carries out this task by proposing "to the faithful who so desire to revive the richness of Christian initiation in their life, through the route of catechesis and conversion."

Moreover, "the Neocatechumenal Way is an instrument for the Christian initiation of adults who are preparing to receive baptism," the Council for the Laity added.

In a letter addressed to Cardinal Stafford on April 5, 2001, John Paul II confirmed that the Council for the Laity has the authority to approve the Statute of the Way, a task that took the Vatican body five years to complete. It worked with other Roman Curia agencies in the process.

To carry out its work, the Council for the Laity contacted bishops and episcopal conferences around the world "to evaluate the experience of the Way at the parish, diocesan and national levels."

"Numerous patriarchs, cardinals and bishops worldwide have written the Holy Father to encourage the examination and approval of the Statute," the Vatican document added.

"This process of writing and examination of the Statute has been a time of discernment on the part of the Holy See of the proposal and experience of the Neocatechumenal Way," the statement said.

"The normative, which is now approved, has the objective of regulating the praxis of the Neocatechumenal Way and its harmonious integration in the ecclesial fabric, at the same time offering a help to pastors of the Church in their paternal and vigilant [support] of the Neocatechumenal communities."

 

BRIEF COMMENT: A WAY TO BECOME CHRISTIAN

The Neocatechumenal Way rcognized by the Holy See as a post-baptismal catechumenate

After more than five years of work, the Holy See has approved the Statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way, thus confirming the praxis in more than 105 nations for over thirty years.

The decree of approval, dated the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, was solemnly consigned on June 28 to the initiators of the way, Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez together with Father Mario Pezzi, by Cardinal Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Dicastery entrusted by the Holy Father with the task of guiding the preparation of the statute. The Neocatechumenal Way has not been approved as an association, a movement or a religious congregation, but, respecting and confirming the intention of the initiators, as an itinerary of Christian initiation for the rediscovery of baptism, that is, a post-baptismal catechumenate (see Statutes, article 1) at the service of the dioceses and parishes.

To underline the ecclesial value and importance of this act, the approval of the Statutes of the Way has been the fruit of a joint effort of some five dicasteries: the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for Divine Worship, the Congregation for the Clergy and Catechesis and the Congregation for Catholic Education. It is an act of great importance since it concerns the first post-baptismal catechumenate recognized officially by the Catholic Church.

This approval formalizes and specifies more precisely the recognition already given in 1990 by the Holy Father , who then recognized the way as an “itinerary of Catholic formation valid for society and for these times”. The work of preparation was drawn out over a long period since the juridical entities most commonly used by the Code of Canon Law are those of association or foundation, which do not correspond to the nature of the Neocatechumenal Way. Since it is Christian Initiation, the Way in fact is at the service of the dioceses and parish priests and is not constituted as an autonomous entity. The statute is composed of 35 articles. The first article expresses the nature of the Way and a description is given of the 4 spiritual goods which constitute the Neocatechumenal Way. These are:

1. the Neocatechumenate or post-baptismal catechumenate, see Title II;

2. the catechumenate for non baptized as per the indications of the RCIA, see Title IV;

3. the ongoing formation of the communities which continue in the parish after having completed the Neocatechumenate, see Title III;

4. the service of catechesis, such as, for example, the return to the primitive schema of evangelization by means of itinerant teams willing to go to the ends of the earth on the basis of the mandate of their baptism, see Title V.

In the second article, the forms of operation of the Way are established: it operates in the dioceses “under the direction of the bishop” (see art. 2,1°) and “according to ‘the guidelines proposed by the initiators’” (see art. 2, 2°); the subject who promotes Christian initiation is obviously the bishop (see art. 26), to whom, however, is offered an instrument approved by the Holy See and configured in accordance with the indications of the statute. Finally, in the last articles the processes foreseen for the succession of the team of initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way are specified.

The statutes deal with a formulation foreseen by the codes, but which is new and very courageous. In a world ever more distant from Christianity and torn between secularization and forms of fundamentalism, with this act the Holy See courageously underlines the urgent necessity for the baptized to rediscover the roots of their faith and, in the face of the general dechristianization of modern society, it offers an instrument for the re-evangelization of modern man.

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