Liturgy: Benedict XVI Brings the Neocatechumenals Back to the Right Way

L'espresso ^ | 12/27/2005 | Sandro Magister

[Pyro7480]

Liturgy: Benedict XVI Brings the Neocatechumenals Back to the Right Way
The confidential document in which the pope cracks down on abuses in how the Neocatechumenal Way celebrates the Mass

by Sandro Magister

ROMA, December 27, 2005 – In his powerful pre-Christmas address to the curia, Benedict XVI dedicated a passage to the synod of bishops on the Eucharist, which was held in the Vatican last October.

The pope expressed his appreciation of the fact that “there is a reawakening in the Church of the joy of adoring the risen Lord present in the Eucharist flesh and blood, body and soul, divinity and humanity.”

He recalled that this revival of Eucharistic adoration was also displayed during World Youth Day last August in Cologne....

In mid-December, the founders and directors of the Neocatechumenal Way – Spaniards Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernandez, and the Italian priest Mario Pezzi – received a two-page letter from cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with a list of “decisions of the Holy Father” which they must obey.

The letter is reproduced down below. Of the six points detailing the pope’s directives, only one permits the Neocatechumenals to continue what they are doing. This regards placing the exchange of peace before the offertory, a traditional practice in the Christian liturgy which is still in use today, for example, in the Ambrosian Rite celebrated in the archdiocese of Milan....

[Pyro7480]

Interesting developments....

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[Nihil Obstat]

God bless Pope Benedict.

[Carolina]

I found these 2 paragraphs quite interesting:

Until recently, the founders and directors of the Way had shielded these practices by claiming they had received verbal authorization from John Paul II. But with Benedict XVI, playtime is over.

And it’s coming to an end for the liturgical abuses practiced throughout the Church. In this regard, pope Joseph Ratzinger’s document in conclusion of the synod of the Eucharist will be of great interest.

[Salvation]

We'll have to see what happens in the United States now.

[netmilsmom]

>>We'll have to see what happens in the United States now.<<

You mean like a collective Heart Attack by the USCCB?

[marshmallow]

In the Neocatechumenal Way, communion is taken while seated around a large square table, with a large loaf of bread that is divided among the participants and wine that is passes from hand to hand and is taken in large swallows.

No doubt followed by large burps.

"The Mass is a meal" crowd have greatly undermined the sacrificial aspect of the Mass. This is long overdue.

[Tantumergo]

Thanks for the ping.

It's about time these heretics were brought into line - JPII indulged them far too much.

I hope that a confession of faith in the Real Presence is also extracted from the leaders of "the Way" as part of bringing them back into communion with the Catholic Church.

[Unam Sanctam]

Each Neocatechumenal group corresponds to a different stage of the Way, so each group of 20-30 persons has its own Mass. If there are ten groups of Neocatechumenals in a parish, there will be ten different Masses on Saturday evening, in ten separate locations.

Where do they find priests for all those masses? Certainly not in parishes around here!

[NeoCaveman]

Where do they find priests for all those masses? Certainly not in parishes around here!

Not even in Spain, I bet. I suspect given the odd theological flavor of all this, I doubt the Neos see a need for a properly ordained priest - of course, I could be wrong.

[Mike Fieschko]

Where do they find priests for all those masses?

I can only speak for the Newark archdiocese, where I lived for many years: IIRC, a very large percentage (around 50%+) of the new ordinands were from the Neo-cat seminary.

[Romulus]

Liturgical abuse is only the tip of the iceberg of this dangerous cult.

[Romish_Papist]

What exactly is the Neocatechumenal Way?

[Salvation]

BTTT! Thanks for posting this!

[kalee]

I have never heard of them and am wondering the same thing. Who and what are they?

[gbcdoj]

Although I confess to not having personal knowledge of the NC Way, I've seen a lot published about them that doesn't look very good. Here are some articles from Christian Order:

The Neocatechumenal Way - A Fearful Danger to the Faith - Fr. Enrico Zoffoli.

The Neocatechumenate - Testimonies

The Liturgy of the Neo-Catechumenal Way - D.J. Redfern

The Last Trojan Horse? - Michael McGrade

(To be fair, here is a defense by a member ("Bruno") of the NC way against some of the above allegations:) The Neo-Catechumenal Way

---

I can't believe that all of this is true...I hope this crackdown on their liturgical abuse is the first step towards getting to the bottoms of the claims about NC heterodoxy.

[ninenot]

Well, if nothing else, B-16 has provided NCWay with an opportunity to 'repent and turn from their sins.'

Regarding Magister's opinion that NCWay is "loyal" to the Pope, I suspect we will find out very quickly whether his opinion is correct.

[Dominick]

This is more than a shot over the bow to them. Pope benedict said, "This is how it is" not "this is how we would like it".

[Bigg Red]

"The Mass is a meal" crowd have greatly undermined the sacrificial aspect of the Mass.

**
Amen to that! Isn't the "shared meal" concept to blame for the fact that the priest now faces the congregation instead of facing the altar and worshiping along with us?