Pope receives the Neocatechumenal Way in a decisive encounter

- Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV / Omnes

“The Church accompanies them, supports them and thanks them for what they do”. “The life of the Neocatechumenal Way, its charism and works of evangelization and catechesis represent a valuable contribution to the life of the Church,” Pope Leo XIV told a large group of itinerant catechists responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in 138 nations on five continents.

The catechists were accompanied in the Audience Kiko Argüello, Father Mario Pezzi and María Ascensión Romero, whom he greeted with affection.

Rediscovering the meaning of Baptism

Founded in Spain in the 1960s, the Neocatechumenal Way was defined by St. John Paul II as a Catholic formation itinerary. According to its website, the movement is present in 139 countries with 20,300 communities in 6,197 parishes, as well as 936 families in mission in 68 countries.

In his address, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the fruits of the evangelizing efforts of the Neocatechumenal Way (...) “To everyone, especially those who have fallen away or whose faith has weakened, you offer the possibility of a spiritual journey through which they can rediscover the meaning of Baptism,” the Pope said. “This enables them to recognize the gift of grace they have received and, consequently, the call to be disciples of the Lord and his witnesses in the world.”.

Gratitude for families on mission

The Pope also expressed his gratitude to the many families on mission who have left behind “the securities of ordinary life” and have set out, sometimes into dangerous areas, “with the sole desire to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to God's love.”.

In this way, the itinerant teams composed of families, catechists and priests, participate in the evangelizing mission of the whole Church and... contribute to “awakening” the faith of non-Christians who have never heard of Jesus Christ, he added.

Some risks

In this context, the Pope warned of some risks, and told the members of the Neocatechumenal Way that carrying out the mission of evangelization also requires “interior vigilance and a wise critical capacity to discern certain risks that always lurk within the spiritual and ecclesial life”.

«In the Church no gift of God is more important than any other - except charity, which perfects and harmonizes them all - and no ministry should become a reason to feel superior to one's brothers or to exclude anyone who thinks differently,» the Pope told the members of the Neocatechumenal Way gathered at the Vatican. He also encouraged them to be “witnesses of this unity,” reminding them that while their “mission is distinctive,” it is “not exclusive.”.

“We must always remember that we are Church and that, if the Spirit grants each person a particular manifestation, it is given - as the Apostle Paul reminds us - ‘for the common good’ and, therefore, for the mission of the Church herself,” he said.

“You do a lot of good, but the goal is to allow people to know Christ, always respecting the way of life and conscience of each one,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV told the members of the Neocatechumenal Way that they should live their spirituality «without ever isolating themselves from the rest of the ecclesial body» and «go forward with joy and humility, without closing themselves off, as builders and witnesses of communion.».

Emphasizing the support and gratitude of the Catholic Church, the Pope reminded them that «where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom».

Various forms of pastoral activity

“The proclamation of the Gospel, catechesis and the various forms of pastoral activity must always be free from forms of coercion, rigidity and moralism, lest they generate feelings of guilt and fear instead of inner liberation,” he said. The Pope's words on personal freedom echoed similar comments by Pope Francis in 2014.

Copy of an icon of the Good Shepherd

In a note In a public statement released shortly after the audience, the Neocatechumenal Way said that Argüello gave the Pope a copy of an icon of the Good Shepherd that he painted in 1982.

Argüello, an artist who painted a series of icons in the Cathedral of Our Lady of La Almudena in Madrid in 2004, also presented a publication with his iconography “since the Pope is planning a visit to Spain in the coming months,” the statement said.

Continue with enthusiasm

At the end of the Audience, the Pope concluded: “Dear friends, I thank you for your commitment, your joyful witness and the service you render in the Church and in the world. I encourage you to continue with enthusiasm and I bless you, invoking upon you the intercession of the Virgin Mary to accompany and protect you. Thank you!”.