The Neo-Catechumenal Way Controversy Continues

First let me say I am very sympathetic to this LAY Catholic movement and also recognize the concerns of some of it most vocal detractors.

Second I know no one in this movement so I am at a tad of an disadvantage.

Third, both the people that are in "The Way" as well its detractors should heed Pope Benedict's comments he made recently on Ecclesial movements. That is just don't read parts you like and ignore the parts that you don't.

The Way has been of some controversy lately. There was high level talks by the Bishops of Japan with the Vatican that were not well pleased. The Ratzinger Forum had two articles up. First is a Catholic News Report appears to have jumped the gun as to this article Final canonical approval for Neocatechumenal Way It appears the next day an Italian Catholic site Petrus had a entire different take(Translation at above Ratzinger Link and below).

Another seven years of 'purgatory' for the Neo-Catechumenals
Their Statutes have not convinced the Pope. The Vatican reiterates they must adjust their liturgy to norms and that their catechism should be the Church's official catechism. By Gianluca Barile .

VATICAN CITY, May 25 - Another seven provisional years for the Neo- Catechumenals. The Holy Father has decided to approve the movement's Statutes 'ad experimentum' till 2015. Only then will a decision be made whether the Church will definitively recognize one of the most controversial organizations in the history of Catholic lay movements.

Is the glass half-empty or half-full for the movement's founders, Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez? Rather half-empty because the Pope, after having attentively read an 80-page report and listened to the opinions of the Congregation for the Laity and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, reportedly decided that the movement still has not changed its liturgy to comply with norms, and that their catecheses continue to require corrections in order to be fully in accordance with the Magisterium.

Corrections which have reportedly been pointed out by the Pope himself, in the hope that the Way would not continue to operate like a 'foreign body' in the dioceses and parishes around the world where they have sent their 'missionaries'. To think that in the past few days, multiple Internet sites with obvious Neo-Catechumenal sympathies had been reporting that the Vatican would certainly give final approval to their Statutes, considering that the 5-year provisional approval given to it by John Paul II had expired in June 2007 without any word from the Vatican.

The Pope's decision is expected to be communicated soon, but one cannot rule out that Arguelles and Hernandez will decide to present the decision themselves at a press conference. Judging from the founders' SOP, they will likely present it as a victory for them. But a minimum of common sense will show that's not so. The fact is that in December 2005, at the Holy Father's instructions, Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, wrote a stern note to the founders giving them two years to adjust their liturgy to the norms of the Church.

But nothing has changed in their liturgy, although Cardinal Arinze's letter said: "In celebrating the Holy Mass, the Neo-Catechumenal Way shall accept and follow the liturgical books approved by the Church without omitting or adding anything." For instance, Sunday is the Lord's Day. The instruction was that members of the movement should participate in a parish Mass at least one Sunday a month, and that for the other Sunday Masses, the movement should come to an agreement with the diocese and its bishop. [It appears the movement customarily holds Sunday Mass on Saturday evenings, instead.]

Then, about lay preachers. The movement was enjoined that homilies can only be given by a priest or a deacon, and that lay members may make an occasional intervention, but something brief and which does not have the nature of a homily. The movement was allowed to continue with their practice of exchanging the sign of peace before the Offertory until a conclusive approval of their Statutes.

On the manner of receiving Communion, the movement was given two years to effect a transition - from their practice of receiving Communion seated, from a table laid out with with bread and wine, instead of from the altar - to the normal manner of receiving Communion followed by the universal Church.

Finally, the movement was instructed to use all the Eucharistic prayers prescribed in the Roman Missal, and not simply the second Prayer. In 2006, Benedict XVI, a few months after Cardinal Arinze's letter went out, 'fraternally advised' the Movement to follow the liturgy of the Holy Roman Church, when he met with 200 families that the movement was sending out as missionaries to various parts of the world.

He said: "The importance of liturgy, and in particular, the Holy Mass, in evangelization, has been reiterated in many ways and on many occasions by my predecessors, and your experience should confirm how the centrality of the mystery of Christ, celebrated in liturgical rites, constitutes a privileged and indispensable way of building Christian communities that can endure... "Precisely in order to help the Neo-Czatechumenal Way to make its evangelizing actions more effective, in communion with all the people of God, the Congregation for Divine Worship, in my name, recently conveyed to you certain norms about the Eucharistic celebration.

"After the provisional period granted to you by the servant of God, John Paul II, I am sure that these norms, which affirm what is provided for in the approved liturgical books of the Church, will be followed by you attentively." So, essentially, much of the problem has to do with liturgy, particularly with the manner of administering and receiving Communion.

An indication of what Benedict XVI thinks about this was evident at the Corpus Domini Mass in St. John Lateran last Thursday - when those who received Communion from the Pope all knelt to receive it on the tongue. Will he continue to tolerate the current Neo-Catechumenal Communion practices? Not forgetting that when Kiko Arguello received Communion from the Pope earlier this month, he did so with his arms crossed, which was certainly quite unorthodox and could even be seen as a sign of disrespect for the Eucharist.

Now some of these concerns seem valid. From the lindeed little I know of the "The Way" it seems that doing such recommendations would not be hard at all. In fact it is for the good of the Church. That being said I do not do not know if Petrus has an agenda but their reporting has been fair in the past. From what I read of this group and their actions in American they are really dynamic. For instance the New York Times reported on a Family that is part of "The Way" from Texas that was going to see Benedict in New York:

The Pequeños and their fellow pilgrims are a particularly ardent band. They are followers of the Neocatechumenal Way, a communitarian church movement, founded in Spain in the 1960s and accepted by the Vatican, that emphasizes a return to early Christian roots, evangelism, intense religious practice and sacrifice.

The Pequeños’ house is filled with Bibles and Christian images. Over the fireplace hangs a copy of an icon by the Spanish painter Francisco (Kiko) Argüello, who co-founded the movement.Before they joined, Mr. Pequeño said, “we would just go to church for Sundays and holidays.” Now they go several times a week, he said, and often evangelize door to door, sometimes playing music.“We use a lot of instruments,” added Ricky, who plays the drum. “The devil uses a lot of noise, and we fight against the devil, also with a lot of noise.”

I mean this sounds good doesn't it? I guess we will no what is the official word from the Vatican soon enough