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See Decree of Approval
Cardinal J. Francis Stafford's address of
30 June to Neocatechumenal Way
On Sunday, 30 June, Cardinal J. Francis Stafford,
President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, gave this address at
Porto San Giorgio to the itinerant catechists of the Neocatechumenal Way
who were thanking God for the approval of the Statutes of the Way.
This long process of elaboration and examination of the Statutes was both
a providential opportunity and an important time for the discernment by
the Holy See of the message and experience of the Neocatechumenal Way. It
culminates in this "further guarantee of the authenticity of your
charism" (cf. John Paul II, Address to the Neocatechumenal Way,
24 January 1997, op. cit, Autograph Letter, op. cit., n. 2) that is the
approval of the Statutes.
The initiators of the Way, and those who assisted them
during this process, can testify to the great determination with which the
Pontifical Council for the Laity proceeded to fulfil the Holy Father's
mandate within the sphere of its own responsibility and the care and
respect with which it worked so that the reality of the Way might be
respected, in accord with the guidelines proposed by its initiators….
The participation of the ecclesiastical authorities was limited to
verifying and ensuring the conformity of the Statutes with the doctrine
and discipline of the Church. This was done to ensure that the experience
of the Way would bear even greater fruit of the "Gospel
radicalism and extraordinary missionary zeal that it brings to the life of
the lay faithful, to families, to parish communities, and the abundance of
vocations it inspires to the priestly and religious life" (cf. Decree
of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, 29 June 2002), and that this good
fruit would be ever more deeply rooted in the fertile soil of the Catholic
Church". The Cardinal singled out for attention four sets of
relationships: with the local bishop, with the parish priest and the
parish community, the protection of the internal forum freedom of the
members, and the respect for the manifold ways in which the Spirit acts in
the Church. Here is a translation of the Cardinal's address which was
written in Italian and given to itinerant catechists meeting in Porto S.
Giorgio.
It is a great joy to be with you here in Porto San
Giorgio, itinerant catechists from all continents who are
gathered in prayer, praising God and thanking him for the approval of the
Statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way by the Pontifical Council for the
Laity. In fact, on 28 June I put into the hands of Kiko Argüello,
Carmen Hernández and Fr Mario Pezzi the Decree of approval of the
Statutes, bearing the date of 29 June, Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul,
that I signed as President of the Council along with Archbishop Stanislaw
Ryłko, Secretary
of the Council.
Ecclesial meaning of act of approval
Of course, it was a juridical act, but it also has
profound ecclesial meaning. You should be convinced of it. He would be
mistaken who thought that the approval of the Statutes was merely a
bureaucratic measure. Rather, it satisfies a deep desire of the Holy
Father, which he expressed at the meeting on 24 January 1997—as
you remember—and repeated in the
Autograph Letter he sent to me on 5 April 2001, confirming the mandate of
the Pontifical Council for the Laity to complete the delicate process of
the discernment and approval of the Statutes, as one of the
"unavoidable provisions" for the "existence of the
Way" (Letter to Cardinal Stafford, President of the Pontifical
Council for the Laity; ORE, 2 May 2001, p. 5).
Three main points
Today, my brief discourse will deal with three main
points: first, the great gift that the Neocatechumenal Way is for the
Church; second, the importance of the process of the drafting of the
Statutes and of the Statutes themselves; and thirdly, four areas that
require special attention in the life of the Way: the relationship with
the bishops, the priests and all the dimensions of the parish and the
other ecclesial communities, as well as scrupulous respect for the
individual's freedom with a special emphasis on the "internal
forum".
Abundant fruits of the Way
On many occasions, the Holy Father has underlined
the abundant fruits of conversion, mature faith, fraternal communion and
missionary zeal of the Neocatchumenal Communities on various
occasions, recognizing the Way as "an effective means of Catholic
formation for society and for the present time" (AAS 82
[1990-11] 1513-1515). Nor can I fail to mention the words the Pope
addressed to you for the 30th anniversary of the Way: "How far
you have come with the Lord's help! In recent years the Way has realized a
truly impressive growth and spread in the Church like the mustard seed of
the Gospel, a great tree which has now spread to more than 100 countries
of the world..." and so the Pope underscored "the abundant gifts
that in these years the Lord has granted to you, and through you,
to the whole Church". In his address, the Pope mentioned your
flourishing development in terms of the blossoming of charisms and new
ways of expressing the Church as the mystery of missionary
communion (cf. John Paul II, Address to members of the Neocatechumenal
Way, 24 January 1997; ORE, 5 February 1997).
Drafting, Approval of Statutes: sure rule of life
To this encouraging recognition, however, a concrete
response had to be given, namely, the examination and consequent approval
of the Statutes of the Way. Since this movement is as varied as it is
complex, consisting of Neocatechumenal Communities in a multitude of
dioceses and parishes in many different countries, the work of the
itinerant catechists and mission families, the existence of more than 40
"Redemptoris Mater" diocesan seminaries connected with the
experience of the Way, how could it do without a clear and sure
"light and rule of life" (cf. Autograph Letter n. 2), to
be translated into the drafting of normative statutes? If it were based
solely on oral tradition, did it not risk being indefinite, putting
everything at the mercy of possible arbitrary decisions due to the lack of
certain guidelines, that everyone would accept and respect? Today these
normative statutes approved by the Holy See—as
it clearly says in the Decree—constitute
firm and reliable guidelines for the life of the Way.
Initiators' 5 year dialogue with Council
The initiators of the Way became increasingly aware of the
importance of Statutes. Along with some collaborators, they were involved
in an ongoing dialogue with our Council, to achieve the goal pointed out
by the Holy Father for the good of the Church and, especially, of the
Neocatechumenal Way. For more than five years I have been involved in
examining the various versions and successive drafts of the Statutes that
they submitted to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The dialogue was
lively, at times even difficult, but was always guided by a deep sense of
ecclesial consciousness and charity. During these years, the Pontifical
Council for the Laity has always worked in close collaboration with the
other departments of the Roman Curia directly interested in this matter,
by reason of their particular area of responsibility.
Roman Curia contributed greatly
We received valuable observations from the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, which were duly incorporated into the
definitive text. In recent years, we have been in frequent contact with
the individual bishops and bishops' conferences around the world,
to evaluate the experience of the Way at local, diocesan and national
levels. Many patriarchs, cardinals and bishops have written to the Holy
Father to encourage the examination and approval of the Statutes. For our
part, we have frequently consulted canonical experts, and have not
neglected to weigh carefully the large number of other reports and
observations from those who have first hand experience of the Way. This
long process of elaboration and examination of the Statutes was both a
providential opportunity and an important time for the discernment by the
Holy See of the message and experience of the Neocatechumenal Way. It
culminates in this "further guarantee of the authenticity of your
charism" (cf. John Paul II, Address to the Neocatechumenal Way,
24 January 1997, op. cit, Autograph Letter, op. cit.,
n. 2) that is the approval of the Statutes.
Respect for the reality of the Way
The initiators of the Way, and those who assisted them
during this process, can testify to the great determination with which the
Pontifical Council for the Laity proceeded to fulfil the Holy Father's
mandate within the sphere of its own responsibility and the care and
respect with which it worked so that the reality of the Way might be
respected, in accord with the guidelines proposed by its initiators. In
fact, our Council is not entitled to work out or impose normative statutes
on the different realities that enjoy the freedom to express in the
statutes that they submit to the Holy See, their own charism, aims,
pedagogy, "style" and specific procedures and ways of working.
In the case of the Neocatechumenal Way, the participation of the
ecclesiastical authorities was limited to verifying and ensuring the
conformity of the Statutes with the doctrine and discipline of the Church.
This was done to ensure that the experience of the Way would bear even
greater fruit of the "Gospel radicalism and extraordinary missionary
zeal that it brings to the life of the lay faithful, to families, to
parish communities, and the abundance of vocations it inspires to the
priestly and religious life" (cf. Decree of the Pontifical Council
for the Laity, 29 June 2002), and that this good fruit would be ever more
deeply rooted in the fertile soil of the Catholic Church.
Safeguards proposed by Holy See
At the same time, the Holy See insisted on some
fundamental aspects which I would like to call to your attention. The
relations of Christians with one another are governed by the great law
that St Paul gave us: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for
Christ" (Eph 5,21). This doctrinal and moral principle, rooted in the
dignity of every baptized person, governs relations between all
Christians. In the last part of the fifth chapter of his letter, St Paul
applies this principle to the special relations existing in the life of
the Church.
Mission of the local bishops
The first catechists in the Church are the bishops,
successors of the Apostles, consecrated by God and assisted by the Holy
Spirit so that they may be good shepherds of their flocks, the heads of
the different local Churches. Consequently, they are charged with the
delicate and pressing responsibility of proclaiming Christ's Gospel, of
being stewards of the divine mysteries, of teaching the truth of the faith
and sound doctrine, and of presiding over the faithful, gathered in the
unity of charity. Therefore you must always defer respectfully and
obediently to the bishops united with the Holy Father in the Apostolic
College. Do nothing without the bishop! The Statutes are offered to
bishops—as is said in the decree—as
an "important aid" in their "fatherly and careful guidance
of the Neocatechumenal communities" (cf. Decree of the Pontifical
Council for the Laity, 29 June 2002). The Statutes are an instrument at
the service of communion, hence, they are also an "instrument at the
service of the bishops" (cf. art. 5 of the Statutes). We are pleased
to recall and to apply here what the Holy Father said in his Encyclical
Letter Redemptoris missio, in paragraph 72, when he asked the
bishops to give a cordial and generous welcome to the new ecclesial
movements present in their dioceses, and asked of these movements a true
spirit of humility in proposing and following their itinerary, as they
integrate themselves into the living, manifold fabric of Christian
communities. It is true that the approval of the Statutes on the part of
the Holy See is an invitation and a guarantee that the experience of the
Way will continue to develop in many new dioceses, as the Statutes
themselves say, affirming that it is up to each bishop "to authorize
the introduction of the Neocatechumenal Way in the diocese" (art. 26)
so that it may go forward in the parishes to which it has been
expressly invited. The Statutes thus invest the bishops with a great
responsibility. "Be subject to one another out of reverence for
Christ": this principle governs relations between the bishops and all
those who belong to the Way.
Appreciate the mission of the parish priest, the vocation
of clerics and religious
The Holy See was also concerned in the Statutes to clarify
the importance of the mission of the parish priest in the Neocatechumenal
Community, appreciating the presence of the priest and his office of
governing, teaching and sanctifying; as well as ensuring the proper
respect for the vocation of clerics and the discipline of the religious
who follow the Way.
Protect the freedom of the internal forum
The strong affirmation of the protection of the
"internal forum" of the members was felt as a need. This is not
meant to restrict the "way" of conversion according to the
proper pedagogy of the community, but rather to guarantee people's free
option, while at the same time increasing their appreciation of the
sacrament of Penance, in agreement with what the Holy Father recently
taught in his "Motu proprio" Misericordia Dei. Many are the
observations incorporated into the text and in all this I must give credit
to the initiators of the Way for having received obediently and
intelligently all that was suggested, which in their mind agrees with the
true nature and practice of the Way.
Willingness to be integrated into parish and diocesan
communities
I particularly wish to stress the fundamental aspect,
represented by your full openness of spirit and effective willingness to
be integrated into parish and diocesan communities, not only at the
service of those who follow the "Way", but of the whole
community; you offer the gifts and talents the Lord has given you, and, at
the same time, you appreciate all that the Spirit inspires in the life of
the faithful through the different processes of Christian formation and
different ways of expressing his mystery of holiness and communion. St
Paul "makes his exhortations, which describe a life imbued with the
Spirit, culminate in the invitation addressed to all believers to be
subject to one another.... Furthermore, the duties are listed as
reciprocal duties: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for
Christ" (C. S. Keenan).
Now the application begins
I entrust these Statutes to each of you, to the
responsibility of each one before God. You are all co-responsible for
adapting your work to the rule you have been given, whose normative
directives are to be fully respected. Indeed, the Statutes have been
examined and revised down to the smallest detail: there is a reason for
every expression. They must always be for each of you and all of you, an
enlightened directive for fruitful growth in the Church and for the
Church.
Further tasks pending
Of course, one cannot ask everything of the Statutes.
Since they are a juridical instrument, they cannot afford a deep
systematic orientation for doctrinal, liturgical or catechetical matters.
In fact, it is not by chance that the Statutes of the Way refer explicitly
to the Catechetical Directory ("The Neocatechumenal Way. Guidelines
for the teams of catechists") whose different volumes you have
presented to the congregations responsible—the
Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments and for the Clergy—and
are awaiting their examination and joint approval. The approval of the
Statutes can be an authoritative and useful support for the work of
revision that is under way.
Council is to continue its guidance
Furthermore, the approval of the Statutes has been granted
ad experimentum for five years. This commits the Pontifical Council
for the Laity not only to fulfil carefully the mandate entrusted by the
Supreme Pontiff, but also "to continue accompanying the Way in the
future" (cf. John Paul II, Autograph Letter, op. cit.,
n. 3), and continue the dialogue with the initiators of the Way to discern
and verify the application of the Statutes to the practice of the Way.
What is truly important is that these Statutes, approved
by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in accord with the Holy Father's
desire, be for you cause for gratitude, joy, certainty and hope on your
journey as well as a reminder of divine Providence to take ever greater
responsibility for the gift the Lord has given to you for the
sanctification of persons, for the building of Christian communities and
for a growing zeal for taking the "new evangelization" to the
ends of the earth for the greater glory of God.
The mystery of the glorious cross
All who are acquainted with the Neocatechumenal Way
are familiar with the representation of the glorious cross which some of
you even have at home. In the catechesis for the convivencia before
the first scrutiny, Kiko Argüello proclaims: "The glorious Cross is
the profound secret of Christianity.... The Cross is really the way of our
salvation".
It is the Cross of Jesus which shapes from within the
Decree and the Statutes whose approval we are celebrating today. The
mystery of the Cross, into which every Christian has been baptized, is a
unique mystery, the mystery of the love of the Father and the Son. Coming
to the end of his earthly pilgrimage, the Son abandoned himself with
obedient love to his Father: "Father, into your hands I commit my
spirit" (Lk 23,46).
In these years during which you will progress together in
the application of these Statutes, I ask you to be attentive to all the
paths that lead to God, shown by the obedient love of the One who died on
the Cross. The acceptance and faithful application of the Statutes, as
well as obedience to the Holy Father and to the bishops of the Church, are
essential to the reward promised to those who follow the way of the
Beatitudes: "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running
over, will be put into your lap" (Lk 6,38).
Obedient love requires the poverty that permeates the
Beatitudes. Through obedient love, you will always be led further into the
mystery of the fullness of God's glory, revealed in the Cross of Jesus.
All those among you who walk this blessed way will be like the little
ones, whose angels constantly look upon the face of the Father. Your own
holy simplicity will open up to you God's indivisible simplicity.
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