Everything you ever wanted to know about the Neocatechumenal Way

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curious_cath

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I am a member of the Neocatechumenal Way. I understand that there are many questions in the Catholic community about our Catholic itinerary. I am not a leader in the movement, so I cannot claim knowing the answers to all of them. But I collected 10 most frequent questions with my reflections that I hope may help to better understand how this charism works among the faithful.
  1. What is a Catholic itinerary?
    A Catholic itinerary is like a road map leading us closer to the teachings of Jesus and His church. The Neocatechumenal Way (or NCW) is an itinerary because it leads the members of its communities on this road toward the goal of becoming Christians.
  2. Where is this itinerary coming from?
    The NCW was founded by Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez in Spain in May 1968, exactly 50 years ago. Their charism was recognized by subsequent Popes Paul 6, John-Paul 2, Benedict 16 and Francis.
  3. What is this itinerary based on?
    The NCW is based on a spiritual “tripod”: word, liturgy and community. These indicate the Scripture, the Eucharistic Celebration and the basic unit of our organizational structure, the local community. We also have our Statutes approved by Vatican in 2008.
  4. Who are the members of NCW communities?
    Everybody can join a NCW community at a local parish where these communities already exist. When a new community is being born, prospective members who are interested in deepening their Catholic faith take part in an 8-week long catechesis session. At the end of the session they decide if the want to become members. This is how they can start to “walk in the Way”.
  5. Do you need to me baptized to join the NCW?
    No. There are post-baptismal and baptismal communities. A post-baptismal community offers a walk on the Christian path for those who were already Catholics. A baptismal community first leads to baptism and then continues the post-baptismal itinerary. In case there are only a few people seeking baptism, they can join an existing post-baptismal community after they had been baptized to the Catholic church.
 
  1. Who authorizes the NCW to form communities?
    It is the bishop who may give permission in a given diocese to form NCW communities. A catechesis session could begin in a given parish if the priest of the parish gives his consent. As NCW is an approved charism and a recognized organization in the Catholic church, we enjoy the support of the Pope and Vatican officials to work in the parishes.
  2. What is the life like in an NCW community?
    Typically, communities gather for a Celebration of the Word and for a Celebration of the Eucharist each week. The Celebration of the Word is devoted to reading the Scripture, singing hymns and sharing our thoughts on the Word. Our sharing is a time of learning about the Scripture and understanding particular topics, indicated by specific words of spiritual content. The Celebration of the Eucharist is a regular Catholic mass on Saturday evening, following the Sunday liturgy and open to all faithful.
  3. Is there any specific teaching in the NCW?
    The catechesis follows the material of any other catechesis of the church. We emphasize the Kerygma, the most basic teaching about Christ. In the NCW communities more time is spent on spiritual topics so that a deeper understanding could develop. The study guides were written by the founders of the movement and are presented faithfully by the team of catechists. These study guides were approved by Rome during Pope Benedict 16th in 2012.
  4. What is unique in the NCW?
    The community atmosphere and our focus on becoming Christians are unique. Our communities are becoming stronger and stronger each year we walk together. We hold that a Christian means a follower of Christ. We need to accept persecution and we need to give up our resistance to evil. Evil in our enemies should be overcome by self-sacrificing love. When you are able to lay down your life for your enemy, then you are on the right path of becoming a Christian.
  5. What are the fruits of the NCW?
    The fruits of the NCW are the works of the Holy Spirit. We evangelize in areas where people have never heard of Jesus. There are callings to priesthood and religious life in our communities. We also convert ourselves while we walk. We accept that we are sinners and we need Jesus more than anything else in our lives. We fix broken marriages and celebrate births. There are countless babies in our communities as we take the command of God to open ourselves to new life seriously.
I hope I was able to give an impression about our NCW communities. I’ll try to be here and answer questions if you have one. Thanks for your patience of reading. Please, pray for me.
 
I’ll pray for you.

I’d like to know if it’s true that NCW groups exclude non-members from their Masses, and if so why.
This is what I have read, and it seems to be a rather large barrier if it’s generally true. Those who wish to get some idea of a NCW community cannot come and be part of a service if they are excluded (someone had a thread on here some months ago complaining that she was not allowed to go to the Masses of the NCW group her boyfriend had joined because she was not a Catholic or a member) and it raises questions in my mind about what goes on at NCW Mass that is so private that it can’t be shared.

I can see excluding non-members from a meeting or other event, but not a Mass.

Thanks.
 
Do you think attending mass outside of the Sunday congregation is a proper practice as Catholics?
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
I’d like to know if it’s true that NCW groups exclude non-members from their Masses
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No, the Celebration of Eucharist is open to all faithful as laid down in the Statutes of the NCW.
Reuben_J said:
Do you think attending mass outside of the Sunday congregation is a proper practice as Catholics?
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It is not outside. Our Saturday evening Celebration of the Eucharist is part of the sequence of parish masses offered to parishioners.
 
I mean, why don’t you all attend the mass together with the rest of the parishioners, rather than having it in a different venue among yourself in the same parish?
 
Reuben_J said:
why don’t you all attend the mass together with the rest of the parishioners
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I am sorry, I don’t understand the question. Not all the “rest of the parishioners” attend the same mass that we could attend with them. You may attend the mass you prefer. Is this not normal?

The Celebration of the Eucharist in the NCW has certain indults granted by the church that make it slightly distinct from a regular mass. Otherwise it is the same. The venue may vary, there is no prescription if the mass would be held in the church building or in a different venue. Some bishops require the Celebration of the Eucharist to be held in the church building in front of a consecrated altar.
 
Yes, that’s what I was saying - having a Sunday mass in different venue not together with the rest of the parishioners.

What’s your comment on the Pope’s directive not to allow that?
 
Which directive exactly?

Popes celebrate mass in different venues. Popes, including John-Paul 2nd and Benedict 16th also have celebrated the Eucharist with NCW in a good number of times. This demonstrated their recognition of our mass as valid as any other mass.
 
I feel very stupid asking this, and I apologize for my ignorance, but what is the Neocatechumenal Way?
 
You must not have read the comment by the Pope some years back that the Neos should not have different mass.

I am just asking but if you did not know about it, it is alright.
 
Vatican approval for Neocatechumenal Way only applies to non-liturgical teachings

Vatican City, Jan 21, 2012 / 05:15 pm (CNA).-

The Vatican’s approval of the Neocatechumenal Way’s forms of “celebration” only applies to non-liturgical prayers within their catechesis and not to the Mass or other liturgies of the Church.

“With respect to the celebrations of the Holy Mass and the other liturgies of the Church,” communities of the Neocatechumenal Way must “follow the norms of the Church as indicated in the liturgical books – to do otherwise must be understood to be a liturgical abuse,” a Vatican official who requested anonymity told CNA on Jan. 21.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/...way-only-applies-to-non-liturgical-catechesis
 
You missed the 1 question which I have @curious_cath, and it is: What is the NCW?
 
Reuben_J said:
Neos should not have different mass.
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We don’t have different mass. We have certain indults, like monitions and greetings moved, but otherwise our Celebration of the Eucharist is like
Reuben_J said:
“With respect to the celebrations of the Holy Mass and the other liturgies of the Church,” communities of the Neocatechumenal Way must “follow the norms of the Church as indicated in the liturgical books"
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This is exactly what we follow. Do you have any indication to the contrary?
adgloriam said:
What is the NCW?
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I am sorry dear @adgloriam, NCW is Neocatechumenal Way. It is a Christian itinerary inside the Catholic church. It leads the members of its communities on a road toward becoming Christians. But it is not the definition that makes NCW what it is, it is rather its communities who build up the Body of Christ.
 
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curious_cath said:
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Reuben_J:
Neos should not have different mass.
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We don’t have different mass. We have certain indults, like monitions and greetings moved, but otherwise our Celebration of the Eucharist is like
Reuben_J said:
“With respect to the celebrations of the Holy Mass and the other liturgies of the Church,” communities of the Neocatechumenal Way must “follow the norms of the Church as indicated in the liturgical books"
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This is exactly what we follow. Do you have any indication to the contrary?
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I thought you could explain what had happened and why did Cardinal Arinze send the letter to NCW to instruct them to follow the GIRM in their mass.

Excerpt from Cardinal Arinze’s letter:

2. As for any admonitions issued before the readings, these must be brief. Adherence must also be shown to what is set out in the “Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani” (nn. 105 and 128) and to the Praenotanda of the “Ordo Lectionum Missae” (nn. 15, 19, 38, 42).
…
5. On the manner of receiving Holy Communion, a period of transition (not exceeding two years) is granted to the Neocatechumenal Way to pass from the widespread manner of receiving Holy Communion in its communities (seated, with a cloth-covered table placed at the center of the church instead of the dedicated altar in the sanctuary) to the normal way in which the entire Church receives Holy Communion. This means that the Neocatechumenal Way must begin to adopt the manner of distributing the Body and Blood of Christ that is provided in the liturgical books.

http://jimmyakin.com/2006/01/neocatechumenal_1.html

What was NCW members’s echo during the homilies?

What are indults?
 
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Reuben_J said:
why did Cardinal Arinze send the letter to NCW
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That was a long time ago. Since then, the Statutes of the NCW regulated all aspects of the Celebration of the Eucharist. The instructions in Cardinal Arinze’s letter was followed and we receive the Holy Communion while standing. It was a minor issue that has been resolved in 2008.
Reuben_J said:
What was NCW members’s echo during the homilies?
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There is no echo during homily. Some members may reflect after the readings in a few words of what they have just heard. It is the echo. Echos always precede the homily.
Reuben_J said:
What are indults?
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The same Arinze letter allows the sign of peace moved: “On the exchange of peace, permission is granted to the Neocatechumenal Way to continue using the indult already granted, pending further instructions.”

http://www.internetica.it/neocatecumenali/english/Arinze-letter-interview.htm
 
Who give the echo and is this granted in GIRM? Or has permission by the Vatican obtained to do this?

Why was NCW seminary in Guam closed by its Archbishop? What hsppened there?
 
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