They apparently engage in disgusting liturgical abuses. I knew Cardinal O’Malley was enamored of this group, and therefore suspected there was something “off” about them, but had no idea they treat Holy Mass like a sit down dinner, complete with conversation and a huge loaf of bread.
“The fruits of this questionable history lesson are visible in the liturgies celebrated by the Neocatechumenal communities all over the world.
The masses are almost always celebrated, community by community, not in the churches, but in parish buildings. Centuries of sacred art and architecture are thus nullified. And these are substituted by new decor typical of the Way, dominated by a large, square dinner table at the center of the room. The images used are in the style of the founder, Kiko, who is a Byzantine-influenced painter. And so are the songs. The musical accompaniment is provided by the guitar, defined as the instrument “closest to the ancient Hebrew psalter.”
The celebration is formally open to all. In reality, at the moment of entrance there is an exchange of greetings, presentations, and applause, which acts as a barrier to those outside the community.
In the liturgy of the Word, each of the readings is preceded and followed by long “admonitions” from the catechists, which are then followed by “echoes” from many of those present. The priest’s homily is barely distinguishable from the rest of the comments.
The eucharistic liturgy is also pulled free from the norms in order to represent instead the presumed physical actions of the primitive apostolic community: with a huge loaf of bread mixed and baked according to Kiko’s precise instructions, with wine which passes from hand to hand in decanters, with a communion that takes place as fellow sitting diners eating and drinking around a dinner table... “
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/21939?eng=y
Funny, I don’t see much difference here between this and the Novus Ordo.