It is not of brightness of c.ur that I approach this reflection on the neo-catéchuménal path. He/it appears to me important to inform those and those that would have one day to to coast this movement. I also address to our brothers and s.urs that militate of good faith inside the NC but that bent never on the doctrine of their founding Kiko Arguëllos and Carmen Hernandez, doctrine, contained in documents to which they don't have access. I challenge them in the charity, it owe them to make it.
This doctrine contains the mistakes that have been denounced time and again by bishops, of the priests and theologians from all over the world. It is not my goal of to disparage people but to demonstrate that the enseignement spilled by this movement wanders on many of points, especially when one compares it to the teachings of the Magistery of the Catholic church.
He/it is therefore desirable that the catéchètes of the NC, in a first time, examine honestly their teaching while submitting it in his/her/its totality to the authorities ecclesiastic and, in a second time that they allow the members to have access to the documents so that they make themselves themselves an opinion.
He/it is also souhaitable that the authorities of the church, who have the load to keep the deposit of the faith, examine the teaching of Kiko and Carmen so that the set of the supporters is informed and is kept in the purity of this faith that comes us of the Apostles.
If this small document drives to questioning, the awareness and the sincere openings to the change, the experience that I lived and that has me brought to write won't have been it vain.
Introduction
Since the Council Vatican II, one attended one explosion de movements in the church. A lot of between them tell to be inspired by the mind and sustained by the Pope and the Holy See. Yet some of these movements bring the division there where they get settled, demonstrating all features of a sect : Absolute obedience to the leaders, minimization of the reason (critical no allowed), vision dualist of the world (us, the good, and those of the outside), radicalism without nuance, identification of the community to the church, gait, initiatique that has the tendency to hold the captive, strong members conscience of election and of predestination, emotional blackmail...
" Il is good that there are some divisions among you, to allow the men felt to appear among you",, tells us the Paul apostle (1 Co. 11,18).
The neo-catéchuménat (NC) is concerned. I read
and heard of the troubling testimonies. A certain vigilance must be
experienced. How much of his/her/its members
resident dans la parish where they work? One to the sees them
parochial dominical Mass? It is not in their habit since them
celebrate the Eucharist in the basements of churches, and this often to the unawareness
of the parishioners. What is their contribution to the level of the parish in which
do they exercise their activité ?
A community installed in a parish
neighbor has several years of existence and yet there is not any sign of
renewal due to his/her/its presence. This movement that is proud to be part of the
new evangelism didn't have the number of the supporters increased yet
to the dominical celebrations. There is grounds to ask serious questions.
Does this movement work for it or for the paroisse ?
He/it has been given me to hear several also
testimonies on tests of implantation in various parishes of the diocese
who hardly balanced themselves by the bursting of the community constituted.
Sometimes it balancing itself/themselves by resignations in block.
There are not any doubts that lives were
transformed thanks to the action of the movement. But there are not less doubts
so much other lives have also been destroyed by the approach and the spirituality of the
neo-catéchuménal path. Unfortunately, we only hear too rarely the
testimony of those that stood some.
Here is a preview of their teaching and of
their approach.
Support
of the Pope
The argument that always comes back in the mouth
of the members of the NC when they want to give their catéchèse or to defend their
movement is that the Pope recognized the neo-catéchuménal path as tool
of valid evangelism for our time. His/her/its speeches to their consideration,
accompanied of several instructions, are enthusiastic and full
of encouragement.
Many welcome these arguments as
irrefutable because they emanate the mouth of the Holy Father. However, that him
is allowed us to mention Melchior Cano, the big Dominican theologian of the,
Council of Thirty, that is expressed itself with a big exactness when he/it says to
subject of the papal load that " Pierre doesn't need lies or of
flatteries. Those that defend blindly and without discernment every decision
of the sovereign pontiff are those same that undermine the more the authority of the
Holy See: rather than to reinforce his/her/its foundations, they destroy them". [i]
The Pope's support is not sufficient because the
to can the plain can go against this support if he/it judges that in sound
diocese the NC doesn't meet the expectations of the parish.
A fact has often been noticed. One interprets
the reserves expressed by the bishops at the time of the arrival of a movement in
their diocese like an opposition or a disobedience to the Pope. Of the bishops and
some priests have however to face many conflicts in their
dioceses. In the document on the church, Vatican II confirmed the authority of
the bishop in his/her/its diocese (paragraph #27). " The bishops have can them
clean that comes of the Christ. They graze the herd not in the name of the Pope,
but in the name of the Christ and, being endowed with full powers, in their own name". [ii]
One will accuse disobedience the bishop or the priest who are in disagreement with
a movement and this because the Pope gave him his/her/its agreement? It is rather to the
movement that will come back the mistake if he/it is not in communion with the priest and
the bishop. Let's take into account this discriminating remark of the Brazilian Cardinal
Lorscheider : " The communion with the supreme priest requires a communion
with the pastor of the local church who manages the community that one confided to him
as priest of the Christ and he/it makes it with his/her/its own powers
plain and immediate. A parallel action must be avoided". [iii]
The communion with the Pope passes therefore also by the communion with the pastor of
the local church. It is not besides all to ask for himself of the authority of the
Pope or of the local bishop whereas as Ignace of Antioquia underlined it in
his/her/its letter in the Magnésiens s: " He/it seems that many wave the name of
the bishop but makes all without him."
In his/her/its book, that we will mention abundantly,
Gordon Urquhart, English journalist, had a theologian's confidence
Roman close to the Vatican : " It is only in words that them (the NC) makes
display of their obéissance ; actually, they make what they want. [iv]
The
Parish
Since the parish is the place of
predilection where the NC wants to establish his/her/its activity, he is important of good
to establish the unique statute of the parish.
" The parish is a hierarchical community
who results from a decision of the diocesan bishop to guarantee in a place the
mission of the church for all and for all. The church begins to that that there either
assured the full pastoral load, the authority concerned guarantees this hold some
load when she/it erects a hierarchical community. As for the communities
so-called associative the church doesn't begin to what the full is assured there
pastoral load. An associative community (that can be a movement )
don't exist for all, nor for all. Because of his/her/its particular nature, her
can substitute itself for a hierarchical community. That making, her himself
would alter". [v]
One affirms therefore here the universal character of
the parish (for all and for all) in relation to the prompt character (nor
for all, nor for all) of the communities or movements.
Other arguments come to reinforce these
affirmations. The council Vatican II says that the parish represents the church
visible established in the universe. The article #2226 of the C.E.C. ( Catechism of
the Catholic church) affirms: The parish is the community eucharistique and
the c.ur of the liturgical life of the Christian families.
In one visit in Roman parish, the Pope,
recall that " the parish is larger than your community" (NC) et " that she/it is the community of basis in
Church." And in another document: " Yet it must be clear that the
communities cannot rise to the same plan that the parochial community,
as a possible alternative. On the contrary, they have the task to serve the
parish and the local church. And it is precisely in this given service
together with the parish and the diocese that the validity of these experiences
inside the Movements and Associations can be observed". [vi]
The Cardinal Moreira Snow banks, prefect of the,
community of the bishops, at the time of the world meeting of the bishops on the,
ecclesiastic movements (Rome June 16-19, 2000) declared: " There is only one
only truth: the church, that has an universal vocation subsists in the
local churches and is in communion, in a symbiotic relation with these,
churches. The movements must take the features of the particular churches
in which they are implanted". [vii]
Unfortunately, the links and the integration
between the NC and the parish miss often, not with the church
institutional to a high-level, but with the parochial communities and
the daily structures of Christian life. All member is continually
tempted to detach itself/themselves of the parochial life that he/it cannot find
welcome and that is incapable to feed his/her/its spiritual life become more
require. It especially notes itself to the stage of the devotion first. The
movement being humanly more homogeneous and more lively is as more
elitist.
In the last report of the conference
Episcopal Italian on the laic associations, the bishops invite
clearly the associations to collaborate between them and to stay in communion
sincere and profitable with the parishes, so that the unique celebration
dominical eucharistique either the foundation of the church and gather all
the members of God's people. [viii]
Yet, talking of the NC, he/it is considerable that the
majority of their members (otherwise all) that are established in a parish
don't make part of it. Besides, the initial catéchèse is always undertaken
by people of the outside. And this catéchèse will have for result to displace the
regrown of their parochial Christian life. In the majority of the cases them
won't go anymore to " the unique celebration dominical eucharistique", but
will attend the eucharistie of the NC path Saturday evening. It will be the beginning for
them of a whole parallel Christian life to the parochial life to which them
participated. [ix]
Indeed, the NC duplicates, often without the knowledge of
the parish, the most important yet celebrated religious celebrations,
by the priests of this one. It is obvious for the liturgical times. Of
more, the NC tends to ignore the pastoral projects of the local dioceses. Where
they are when the bishop convenes his supporters to diocesan meetings or
other? They don't go to the parochial Mass that when they don't have any priests
available to celebrate their celebration of Saturday evening.
Kiko Arguëllo (founding of the NC) says in one
presentation " that after a second catéchèse, a second community is
formed, then a third, a fourth and so forth. Finally the
parish is formed in a community of communities; we reached the
structure of a parish." " To the measure that the community grows in the
faith, comes a time where the whole community must work in the parish."
Yet, according to the Pope's instructions to the
priests of the movement in 1985, such a transformation of a whole parish,
is not possible because the NC communities cannot replace or can take
the place of the parish.
According to say them of Kiko Arguëllo at second
initiation: " These communities that we form are not for those that are
in the parish but for those that never come. This community
Christian is going to balance itself by a change in the pastoral work and the
structure of the parish... We arrive therefore to a new type of parish,
made of small communities in ways of conversion, on a path catéchuménal,
reliving the baptism."
One has the choice between a handling of the
parish or the emergence of a parallel parish.
Us won't contest that the devotion meets more often in the movements ( Is this a sign since she/it also meets, by the way, in a lot of sectes or associations any? ) and that him there a the danger of the routine and tepidness in the traditional parish, but from there to dire : " Where one in the parishes finds this faith as elevated that himself does make sacrament, sign for the secularized man? Where is this love towards the visible returned enemy, as when the Christ liked us whereas we were enemies? ". [x] It is to take the parish of top. The NC doesn't have the exclusive rights of this faith and that love, even though it is what he/it seems to believe. Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (meadows. of the symposium of the conf. Episcopal of Africa and Madagascar) underlines that " the charismas don't belong exclusively to the movements. The grants of the mind and their particularity is also the inheritance of the local church... ". [xi] The faith and the love also live themselves in parish and these grants, as others charismas, are there present without ambiguous. He/it comes back therefore to our pastors of the débusquer so that they benefit to the whole community.
The Pope is very conscious of the problems
caused by the movements; he/it speaks of it in his/her/its message to the participants of the
seminary on the movements (June 20, 1999): " I am well conscious that
the movements and the new communities, like all work that, well
that having received a divine impulse, develop himself within history
human, didn't cause these last years that of the positive commentaries.
There were the presumptions and the intemperances and the other of the prejudices on one hand
and of the reserves." It is therefore that the insertion is a met major problem
by the movements and particularly the NC.
Although the Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
either rather favorable to the movements, it would be interesting to note this
observation: " But there was and there is more difficulties more
serious. In these movements one could discover some signs Indeed, of
illnesses of youth. In them the strength of the mind let itself discern, but
he/it acted through men and didn't free them suddenly of their
weaknesses. There was to the exclusivisme, to imposition,
one-sided of personal views, and therefore, the inability to fit
in the life of the local churches. To push by their enthusiasm all new, them,
were convinced that they had to let themselves drag to enter in
something that was sometimes in truth a structure rigidifiée. The church
local had to, so to speak, to make higher itself/themselves to their level. [xii]
One arrived to conflicts where the responsibilities of the two partners were
committed of manner as one could not untangle" them. [xiii]
Therefore, as says archbishop Pasinya: " To the
level of the principles all is clear. The problem starts when one wants the
to apply. The movements (for us the NC), come from the outside; them
are born in an environment that is culturally and ecclésialement
different. How can be integrated them in the local church, that by
is nature universal? ... The movements maintain that they are universal
because the Pope sustains them and thanks to it, they expect to be accepted
completely. But the universality is not only reduced to this point.
The universal church is the communion of the Churches, that is experimented in
the unit". [xiv]
Of the
priests NC?
With regard to the priests of formation
neo-catéchuménale " the bishops worry that of young priests of which the
vocation bloomed to the only contact of a particular spiritual movement,
don't stop remaining submitted to this movement, all as he/it is troubling
that one pushes to the creation of particular seminaries regrouping the candidates
to the NC ministration that undertakes some studies in a precise goal: to remain to the
service of their community." Mgr A.M. Guevara (Nicaragua)[xv]
They are destined to work in the
parishes and, only knowing the NC Catholicism, will propagate that there only
model.
Besides the creation of such seminaries is
in contradiction with the Pope's recommendations (that sustains them yet )
given at the time of a private audience where 2000 priests of the NC were united the 9
December 1995.
" Don't let deceive you! ", tells to them him,
" the church wants you priests and the laymen that you meet want you
priests and anything else that of the priests... You must not feel
sent in particular toward a group but to serve all the church... One
other delicate and incontestable responsibility and that I hope for you will understand
is to build an ecclesiastic communion, not only inside your
group, but with all members of the parochial and diocesan communities
." [xvi]
Is what a priest has an interest marked for the NC can disregard the other
faithful? Even though the priest wins by it personally (as Kiko Arguëllo
affirm it in his/her/its presentations), the rest of the parishioners would not have to
to feel neglected. It is among others for which has been blamed three priests NC of the
diocese of Clifton in England where an oppressive report was issued after one
official investigation asked by bishop Mervin Alexander. [xvii]
In this report, one indicates there that the role of the parish priest in one
community receiving the catéchèse doesn't seem to be the one of a leader, but
the one of a member of the community topic to the instructions and to the futures
votes driving it to the following stage of the neo-catéchuménal process. Kiko
Arguëllo recalls that for those that follow the catéchèses " the badges
are worth anything, not more that the priests, the monks, the s.urs and the bishops."
It is a serious variant with what we said and will say concerning
the obedience to the ecclesiastical authorities.
Obedience
to the movement, to the catéchètes.
Those that coasted the NC were able to surely
to note how the obedience to the catéchètes is of first importance. Her
go as far as short-circuiting the one due to the priests and to the bishops if need be. Her
is stricter than the priest's submissiveness towards his/her/its bishop.
C. Delhez and IN Denaux in their work
"Church, "sects" and religious movements", describe that
who characterize a sectarian mind: " The real master or accompanist
train his/her/its disciples to the interior liberty (Mt 23,4 and Mt 11, 26-30)." The
distrust of all critical sense (Jean-Paul II he/it doesn't say that " all
community needs a faithful opposition" and when he/it was cardinal,
he/it didn't insist saying that the community must " not only
to permit the emergence of the opposition and to give him the opportunity to express itself/themselves,
but that she/it must also make so that the opposition can operate for the
a lot of community" ), of the use of his/her/its intelligence to which one opposes
the faith, should awaken some suspicions at the one or the one that wants to adhere to
all religious movement. The authors continue: " A characteristic of the
sects are not to let a space for the personal judgment or the hold
of initiative. If one requires members a blind and absolute obedience one
must mistrust."
" Kiko Arguëllo, him, insists: " One will obey the finger and l'. him.
Without this obedience to the catéchètes, there is not a neo-catéchuménal path
." It is not of monks and nuns having pronounced the v.ux that one requires
this obedience, but of laymen that, men and women have duties recognized
by the church towards their spouse and their children, duty that they owe to the,
need to sacrifice to the requirements of the movement. As an English ex-member me the
made notice, " Je hated the permanent amalgam of two cults.
the one due to the Christ and the one required by the neo-catéchuménal" Path. [xviii]
I could be besides control of that that me
would qualify discreet control but efficient on him walking. To pass
over the priest to refer some to the catéchète is not rare thing.
I also heard for a banalité : "
One obeys, one obeys." In his/her/its critique of the NC, the Father Passionniste Enrico,
Zoffoli, that wrote some works in order to denounce the conveying errors by
the movement, relief that is assigned to the catéchètes an authority equal to the one,
of the priest. They use this authority for the teaching (most between
them having little or not of theological formation) and the direction of the
consciences, what already lessens the personalities fragile and can drive
to the disavowals of the faith of the walking.
Giorgio Finazzi-Agno, whose marriage stole
in burst because of the NC, tell display device that
that he/it noted during the meetings of San Clemente : " In these
meetings, I could note that the total submissiveness to the presbytre and to the
directs took the step on the obligations that already result from the marriage
contracted (care and love of the children and spouses. ) ". [xix]
Where is located their liberty therefore in all that?
Does one go without some maybe? But maybe they did sacrifice it? André
Daigneault speaks of " l'émergence of groups or communities of type
almost military, that live under a very stern discipline régime and who
offer an authoritative style formation for, they pretend, to become more
efficient to the apostolic level. Would be that that the true evangelical liberty
frightens and that some prefer to sacrifice their liberty to recover one
will seeming of family who dictate them their conduct? One prefers to let itself
to lead infantile way by a strong personality rather than to take itself/themselves some
hand and to accept to be mistaken". [xx]
Some French bishops call some to another
point of discernment: " Besides the outside criterias aiming to value the
movements as the approval by the hierarchy or the "fidelity"
to the magistery, it is necessary to take in account of the "internal criterias", by
example if the members are free to call some to the bishop to oppose to
their own superior, the obedience not to be ever absolute". [xxi]
Here are finally some lines of the catéchèse of
Kiko Arguëllo that will finish to convince us of the power and the authority of the
catéchètes inside the movement. " It is not you that know if you are
Christian, if you are again in the path catéchuménal, it can happen that
you believe to be sign of Christ and you are merely sign of your honesty,
of human qualities, sign that a Marxist can give as you, and better
than you. Besides, during the catéchuménat, you cannot give the signs of the
adult faith. It is the apôtre[xxii],
the catéchète, the one that drives you in the catéchuménat. It is he that must
to watch over the path, like an old being supposed that the bishop recognized it
in his/her/its charisma to carry you to the faith. It is certainly he, this brother,,
who knows it. [xxiii] And more loin : " The mind Holy is
already above you (above you that are here) and in the catéchuménat
one will see that has it and that doesn't have it, because the one that has the mind Saint
begin to make them. uvres, small. It is we that must see these attitudes,
not you. Because God won't let you judge by yourself, so that you
didn't boast. It is the church
who you dira : here be the mind Saint. ". [xxiv]
" It would be able to that you considered yourselves
as very Christian but, mandated by your bishop, your catechist passes and
learns you that you are not not at all. Maybe you always take for
a pillar of the church. If your catechist doesn't find in you the signs who
authenticate you like Christian, you won't go farther, because, acting to the
name of the bishop, he/it has the charisma to be able to discern the minds. " [xxv]
One is
in right to wonder what Bishop is going to invest a catéchète of such a power
and of such a discernment!
Finally,
" It is necessary that me you the dise : if the church (the NC) surrenders account that
you didn't understand this mystery, that the mystery of the cross doesn't have you
been revealed, she/it won't mark you of the sign of the cross and you won't be
allowed to the catéchuménat". [xxvi]
The law of the secret
The NC, considered by many as movement
having a sectarian drift, has for key strategy the secret.
The courses initiatiques spaces out themselves on long years (one
speak of at least 10 - years if there are not accidents of course. to 20 years.
Besides he/it seems than little among
the members come out of the movement, even though they finished the long
stages of the progress).
The stages are not known of the members that to
measure that they reach them. A catéchète told to me that if it had known that it
would make the porte à one day carries he/it would have had the difficulty to accept
it.
Information is held secret. The texts
some Catéchèseses are not published. The source of inspiration for the
Orientations to the teams of catechists for the first phase of conversion
is a text that unites the instructions given to the held catechists in
February 1972 by Kiko Arguëllo and Carmen Hernandez in Madrid. He/it includes 373
typed pages and photocopied. As the Father Enrico Zoffoli says it
in his/her/its book " Les heresies of the Path Néocatécuménal", " This text
cannot only be called official because he/it is restricted, and no parce
that he/it doesn't express the ideas and the beliefs of the authors. Until now,
he/it has never been modified or has been withdrawn."
Little catéchètes possess the complete corpus
of the teachings. He/it is of use not to distribute every teaching that to the
moment where the community in question has need of it.. The majority of the
neo-catéchumènes ignores the content of it, even after several years
of adhesion to the movement. " If these catéchèses doesn't respect the dogma he/it would have
been not laudable to make know the whole vérité of it? ". [xxvii]
Yet the documents of the Magistery of the church as the various catechisms
etc., are available to the unrestricted supporters.
" To the
theological level, some doctrines have been declared heretical by
experts on the subject. [xxviii]
It is a supplementary and very concrete reason that drove the founders to
to erect a wall of silence around the doctrines professed by the NC". [xxix]
In what milked to the sale of goods,
when Kiko says that later the members should sell all their tangible assets,
Carmen adds promptement : " Don't tell it to people, otherwise they go
to clear off to the very instant. [xxx]
The few times that of the foreign people
to the movement arrived to obtain the texts of the founders, they don't have
not unsuccessful to raise the controversy.
Finally, there is not that the teaching who
relief of the secret but their way to be community within the parish.
Often few parishioners know that this movement is established in their
community. They are besides reticent enough to identify overtly. In
my parish, several of their members attended meetings in view
of an evangelism project. I was one of the rare to recognize them and even though
they were not residents of our parish, they never identified
overtly.
THE MARRIAGE and THE FAMILY
The marriage, as in all group to tendency
sectarian, is encouraged briskly within the neo-catéchuménale community.
To read what is going to follow one will understand enough
quickly that the love of the spouse and the family, as taught by
the church :
" Augusto Faustini, Roman, during the feasts
of Christmas 1989, began a hunger strike before the church parochial NC
Saint Tite to protest against his/her/its wife's adherence in the NC movement. Him
was convinced que le NC path was destroying
systematically his/her/its marriage and his/her/its family's life.
. He/it wrote to My Lord Giuseppe Mani, bishop,
auxiliary of Rome Est :
As bishop of the family, you would have to
to take the measure of the devastating effects that on the married couples produce
the conceptions that the Path NC drums to length of meetings :
" Femmes, you must not like anybody else that God, you must like
your husband your brother in the Lord. If you are in love with your husband,
it is that he/it becomes for you an idole ![xxxi]
A woman in love is not a true Christian. if she/it likes her/its husband,
she/it must learn to hate it". [xxxii]
One will agree the extremist character and
destitute of nuances of these subjects. It will be about rereading the various articles of the
C.E.C. on the family, the teachings of the Pope and the first chapter of the
document "The church in the world of this time" of Vatican II for
to recover a teaching on the more balanced family and that doesn't exclude the
radicalism of the gospel. Only mention the article #49 of the first chapter
on the dignity of the marriage and the family: "... This love (human), by one
grant of his/her/its grace and his/her/its charity, the Lord condescended to heal it, to perfect it,,
to raise it. Associating the human and the divine, such a love drives the spouses to one
grant free and mutual of themselves that appear by feelings and the
gestures of tenderness and he/it impregnates all their life."
It doesn't remove anything to the fact that the vocation
first of the Christian is to follow the Christ.
An old member of the NC, psychologist, tells us that if there is a spouse who is from the NC, it becomes irreconcilable because the sociological structure of the movement is the community and no the family. It being confirmed by this remark of the Padre Paiusco of the parish San Leonardo Murialdo. " When Augusto (city more loud) surrendered at this last to ask him to help it to reunify his/her/its family, he/it got along dire : " Your famille ? But she/it goes very well. The NC path comes in the first place, the family after. Be happy of the situation as she/it is." This poor priest had just invented the " divorce catholique ! " [xxxiii]
It is necessary to recall how much of
painful testimonies he/it has been given me to read about divisions in
families where one of the spouses, not being part of the NC, and yet very
devout and committed chrétiennement, should have lived a separation because he/it refused
in conscience to adhere to the movement?
Let's finish on the family while mentioning an excerpt
of the book " The "Pope's armada of Gordon Urquhart where the author mentions again
Kiko Arguëllo that professes " good number of strange theories. The picture that him
give the love that the parents have pure their children is especially
incongruous and shocking :
" As we are endowed with a superego that us
defends to commit the murder, we are torn to the bottom of ourselves by
a serious interior conflict that naked try to solve somehow,
to choke while arranging the cans, bus to the bottom of ourselves we don't want
no child. As make ourselves the exact contrary, we pamper it, us,
is very worried of what arrives to him. Pourquoi ? I will tell you
why. We make ourselves the pimpernel for our children because we have
constantly the death in head. Allow me to ask you a question :
why do you imagine the death of your enfants constantly? Me
dirais : BECAUSE IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS YOU WANT IT."
And Gordon Urquhart of conclure : " If the
members NC accept this way to see, it is that they feed in their heart
interior of the murderous thoughts with regard to the children that they believed to cherish.
There is not a doubt that they will want to all price to take better
habits. The best means, it is to stop pampering their offspring
while increasing the number of hours that they will dedicate to the NC meetings, far from
their domicile. But what imports the more, it is that these children join
one or the other "NC group. [xxxiv]
Reproaches
What are the reproaches addressed to the NC?
They are important and they often come back in the mouth or the writings of
those that had some relations with the movement or that don't make part of it anymore.
" My Lord Bruno Foresti, bishop of Brescia,
forbidden to the movement, in 1986, to begin new catéchèses in sound,
diocese. Besides, he/it informed his/its priests that of former members of the movement there
had discovered " a vision pessimistic of the man, a climate of submissiveness,
psychological, a certain exclusivisme, a certain identification of the community,
to the church herself and a setting in doubt of the religiosity of others."
The forbidden was only raised in 1990 and only provided that the movement
is placed under the "bishop's direct supervision. [xxxv]
The father Henri Bourgeois, dean of the faculty,
of theology of Lyons and responsible of the NC service in his/her/its diocese, reproach to the
movement his/her/its one-sided tone put on the sin, the denunciation without nuances of
the society and the morals, the call to the submissiveness and to the obedience, the,
minimization of the reason. He/it also questions this initiation: " She/it is
adapted to our time? Conducted her to cause free and lucid believers
? ." And to conclude: "The honest NC, he/it doesn't call to a customized type
of faith." (To see Annex 1: DOCUMENT)
The father mariste Gérald A. Arbuckle, in sound,
"Refonder book the church, edict. Bellarmin", critical some
movements and consider them like hostile to the theology of Vatican II. Him
link with the NC: " Theological fundamentalism, accent on an internalized piety
without social engagement, authoritarianism, taste of the secret, elitism. When the
movement is admitted in a parish, it requires to stay independent of the
parochial authorities and to be freed of all pastoral responsibility. His/her/its
members have the inculturation in horror and they don't tolerate any concession to
the situation or to the local culture: the liturgies and even the songs are
composed in Europe and imposed to the adherents from all over the world without no
modification is allowed... No without Pharisaism, these movements,
impose themselves of débusquer everything that appears them orthodox little and to condemn
the delinquents without care." p. 81
To the world meeting of the bishops on the
ecclesiastic movements, already above stated, Mgr talking Rylko of these last
of more general way, made allusion to the intransigence of the movements some,
term of adherence and their sense of the superiority towards the associations
already existing, it being accompanied by the desire to impose their own group
to the other. The movement closed on himself, himself insulating of the life rest
parochial and diocesan is an incurred risk. As the one besides of
to consider the community like a sort of shelter where one can hide for
to avoid the problems of the domestic and social life. [xxxvi]
Finally in the book "Church,
"sect" and new religious movements" above stated, the
authors give criterias of discernment concerning again
movements to sectarian tendencies and he/it is overt enough that the NC doesn't escape
to the underlined points: Vision dualist of the world, sliced opposition between those
of the outside and those of the in, adherence to an elite that represents the good,
ideology that makes office of only doctrine of the salute, strong conscience,
of election or predestination, tendency exclusive to disapprove of the world,
recruitment.
The pretension to be called THE path indisposes.
Let's mention Kiko Arguëllo: " This catéchèse has for goal to show to people that
their Christianity doesn't have any moral value and to show them their true
reality... Those that welcome the Speech start the path in community for
to constitute the church so that the mind descends on them. They are born sons
of God... the astonishing mystery comes true: a group of men becomes god,
form the Body of the Resuscitated of Christ and it is this that saves the world"
. It allows Kiko to put in doubt the faith of others. In one his/her/its
presentations of the path, he/it speaks of the NC catéchèse as being adapted to
our condition as baptized. It is misleading because the NC approach "
begin to beginning without consideration to their individual degree of faith or of
understanding."
Gérard Reniers (dir. national of the catéchuménat
official French): " Where is the need to leave to zero in history
personal of each and to ignore his/her/its past. human and Christian. in
some cases? ."
The critique is not appropriate among the
members of the movement. One depreciates the reasoning and the experience a lot
takes the step on the reason. " Go there, go see", has me one already says. " You
will be able to understand it that while living it, while experimenting it", one says again. One
encourage those that doubt to throw itself/themselves in the experience, to run the risk of
the faith. The distrust of all critical sense, of the intelligence use to
which one opposes the faith and the minimization of the reason, characterizing the,
sectarian movements are the elements that should light at home of the
red lights.
Let's come back to this pretension to be THE path.
The Cardinal Ratzinger explains " that there is risk of unilatéralité that carries to
to exaggerate the specificity of a mission... a tendency to that that the experience
spiritual to which one belongs is lived not as one of the
multiple shapes of Christian existence but rather as the only one to be
enclosed of the entirety of the evangelical message, what can drive to
to consider his/her/its own movement as absolute, so that one comes from it to
to identify at the church herself (and it is precisely what Kiko said more
high about the NC), to consider itself/themselves as THE path for all, whereas some
makes this unique way can be lived of different manners... To the
movements address a warning therefore: Even though, on their path they have
found the totality of the faith to the Christ and share it with others, they are
in the church and represent for the church a grant; they must therefore
to submit to the requirements of the whole church to remain faithful to that that
is for them the essential ".
It is therefore dangerous to identify A path
as being THE path, separating in those of the of those of the outside.
One spoke previously of the put one-sided tone
on the sin. Let's listen to the founder of the movement again: " The man is not able to
to make the good, because he/it parted with the God, he/it sinned and became
impotent, useless, enslaved to the devil. He/it is the slave of the devil, the devil,
is his/her/its master. You are the lackey of the devil who manipulates you to his/her/its will, because
he/it is a lot more powerful than you... The man is so imperfect, so carnal,
he/it can only fly, to fight, to be jealous, envious, etc. He/it is not able to
to prevent itself/themselves of it and nothing acts as to blame of it to him". [xxxvii]
Mgr Louis Alberto Tobar (Cuença.Ecuador)
affirm: " The space reserved to the pain and the devil passes that that sign one
healthy doctrine and stretches toward a childish fear and the déresponsabilisation". [xxxviii]
Let's continue with Kiko: " During the length of the
catéchuménat, God permits that emerge of the difficulties, that conflicts explode
and shambles, to the course of which, accused, the man sees himself/itself confronted to his/her/its truth
face. After having made road on the path during two years, of people who
were taken themselves for Christian truths, understand that they don't support
Pierre, Jean, Jacques, nor nobody else; then they begin to take
conscience of their limits. Later, it is again worse, because the gossip
poison the atmosphere, the lined strokes begin to rain. God permits
all it, better again, he/it orders it. This is not marvelous all it? " [xxxix]
One will understand therefore, from such
affirmations, that life in the community, especially when she/it is small,
can become unbearable. Is this a way of life in group that deserves
to be propagated in a parish?
Another reproach to the NC? The practice of the
public confession where one opens his/her/its intimate life to the other members creates to their
consideration an ambiguous dependence. Indeed, an undissolvable tie forges itself between
every member of the community: how only to consider leaving one
group of which every member knows your most intimate secrets and the anguishes
who haunt you in your heart of hearts?
He/it is
true that several criticize the NC but don't have courage to leave.
Besides, a problem that it is necessary to consider as serious is the one of the
difficulty to come out of this movement (
to see the article of Jean Vanier in conclusion). Several ex-members
ont testified that to leave this movement
was as to leave the church, to leave very God, so the pressure is
strong.
Maybe they ignore where they don't want to know that the church
is a more spacious and free place that the church that Kikos and his/her/its
catechists present.
The attempt of the NC to live a Christianity
primitive cannot prove to be that narrow, and can be qualified only
of anachronistic. Mgr Louis Alberto Tobar, above stated, says that " their
doctrine doesn't have any tie with the culture, with our time and with the voices who
makes to hear" itself/themselves of it.
The NC "way" to celebrate
the Eucharist also questions. The ornamentation and the songs are very to the
"Kiko", one inserts the testimonies, the additions, the withdrawals,; of the
displacements of parts of the traditional Mass are common properties. Of
more, the sense given to The Eucharist (in particular the real Presence) lets
of the perplexed theologians.
Money is as topic of questioning. Let's listen
Kiko : " The man looks for life in goods (it is why, in the
community, you will sell your biens ; don't tell it to people, you the
would make the race flee)". [xl]
Continuons : " In fact, you must
to accept that you will like God more that money. In some years, at the time of
the first baptismal sweep, one will tell you to sell your goods. You
should sell them tous,[xli]
because otherwise you won't be able to enter in Kingdom, you don't even have
access to the catéchuménat. Now you don't have again the forces the
faire ; later you will have it, because you will receive the mind Saint and you
will be capable" of it. [xlii]
Here is to what can expect the one or the one
who attends a catéchèse.
When the bishop of Brescia, in the North of
Italy, put the hey to the catéchèse in his/her/its diocese, he/it especially has
raised them " domestic conflicts between spouse, or between parents and children to
subject of the one-sided renouncement to money." [xliii]
To oneself
need of a new catéchèse?
One can wonder if such a catéchèse is
necessary in present l`Église whereas the catéchèse of the dioceses can
to have resorts to the very numerous sources taking the teaching of the church
? The catéchèse of the NC is restricted strictly to the teachings of Kiko Arguëllo
( who as passing is not available to all in his/her/its whole corpus, she/it is
very secret; to possess a copy illicitly of it raises one automatically
outcry of protests), producing two types of catéchèse thus.
The C.E.C. tells the article #9: " The ministry
some catéchèse always draws some energies new in the Councils. The
Council of thirty constitutes an example in this regard to underline: he/it gave to the
catéchèse a priority in his/her/its constitutions and his/her/its decrees. He/it is to the origin
of the Roman catechism that also carries his/her/its name and constitute a work of first
order as abstract of the Christian doctrine; he/it caused in the church one
organization remarkable of the catéchèse; he/it dragged, thanks to saints
bishops and theologians, the publication many catechisms. #12: That
catechism (C.E.C.) is destined to the persons responsible of the mainly
catéchèse... bishops, editors of catechism, priests and catechists."
For
to summarize
Some excerpts of a document of thirteen
pages that Jean Vanier (the ark) wrote about the new movements
sum up the underlined points well higher.
" The time will reveal if a movement is
faithful, if he/it grows as the mind wants it. There are some signs, yet who
indicate if a movement develops itself in God's ways... If one
movement follows the thought of the church in his/her/its identity and his/her/its opening, it is
a sign of the mind Saint. But the opening doesn't come once
the identity is assured. She/it implies this identity... If a new movement
grows in communion with the bishop of the place and the local church, collaborating with
the other movements and sensitive to the inculturation, non closed again on himself,
and his/her/its specific culture, then it is a sign of the Holy spirit... If a new
movement announces a good news to the poor people, if it is hired of some
way towards the poor people, preparing to let itself/themselves evangelize by the,
poor people, again it is there a sign of the mind... Maybe the element the more
complex to know if a community evolves well is the quality of love
lavished to the weakest members of the group, and the special attention who
allows those that feel named to leave, to receive the help of which they have,
need in order to leave peacefully, without feeling guilty. The groups
sectarian have tendency to keep their members; they don't let them leave
easily. It is as if for a person, to leave the group, was synonymous
to leave the church or the God Living. He/it can have a shape there also of
manipulation or of seduction in order to attract people in the movement. The
number is often for the group a sign that it is of God. Several
people look for the powerful and sectarian groups that bring the
security. Jesus didn't create a powerful group. He/it calls people to be
whole, humble and holy. He/it invites them to live the beatitudes,
particularly poverty in mind.
A movement closed on himself that has his/her/its
own priests and psychologists in the community can become dangerous if
these last of which submitted to the movement, if there is not an authority available to
the outside. All is decided by the leaders who become speech of God. Him
has a real risk there for the group and his/her/its vision, his/her/its laws and his/her/its mind,
becoming all powerful, incapable to see his/her/its zones of shades and to accept
all shape of critique. In such situations, some members are
crushed; it explains itself by the fact that one sees the mind Saint on one hand and
the devil of the other. In these movements the common sense can become rare, the
psychological and human assessments are rejected and only the words of the
founding are defended. A movement that evolves in the ways of the mind is
named to open up to facilitate the access to his/her/its members towards men or the
women who are wise and that don't belong to the movement. A spirituality
of dictator coupée of a good
anthropology doesn't have a foundation in Jesus' good news. A such
post-closing situation that can cause a lot of wrong to the members, the,
preventing to grow, don't only exist in the movements laymen, but
also at the religious. The origin of such crises is in a shape
of domineering authority, in an ecclésiologie that aims to the triomphalisme and one,
spirituality where the law prevails on the communion and the love, where the power
appears more important than the sermon on the mountain.
The movements can begin, maybe
they always begin, in a sectarian way, but they are called to evolve. Them
must open up to the thought of the church and new ways of God who
reveal his/her/its love for the world. The Holy spirit drives them mildly and
firmly on a way that implies cooperation, humility, opening,,
insecurity and a certain death to oneself. If they refuse this way of
the insecurity, these movements, even though they have been inspired in the beginning by God
are going to die; after one time of prosperity, they are going to disappear". [xliv]
Dennis Dumas
[i] Jean-Paul II : witnesses of the hope, Georges Weigel, J.C. Lattès, 1999, p 27,
[ii] Small Catholic Theology dictionary, Karl Rahner and Herbert Vorgrimler, Doorstep, 1970, p 179,
[iii] Synod of 1987 dedicated to the laymen. Quoted in the pope's armada, Gordon, Urquhart, Golias, 1999, p 79-80,
[iv] the pope's armada, p 429,
[v] to See the book of Alphonse Borras : The community paroissiale : canon law and perspective, Deer, 1996,
[vi] the Pope's words concerning the movement is available on the site of the investigation of Clifton in England, investigation ordered by bishop Mervin, Alexander, on the www.ourworld.compuserve.com site and to hit Ronald Haynes
[vii] available Article on the www.legionofchrist.org site p 7
[viii] evangelism in Parish, Don Guissepe Macchioni, Pneumatèque, 2000,
[ix] Yet Kiko Arguëllo says in its presentations that the catéchèses are for those that moved away of the church, that there doesn't come anymore.
[x] Speech of Kiko Arguëllo before the Pope and the founders of others movements at the Pentecost 2000 in Rome
[xi] to See the article on Internet above stated p 12
[xii] Recall ourselves the assertion of Kiko Arguëllo, raised higher, when he/it asks where to find in the parish this faith and this love that one seem to find that in the NC communities. That of which speaks to us the Card. Ratzinger is not thing of the past but is again very present. Kiko, le, founding of the movement, he/it don't ask that the parish makes higher itself to the level of his/her/its communauté !
[xiii] in Don of the Esprit : hope of the men, edict. Of the Beatitudes p 26
[xiv] Ibid. p 12
[xv] the pope's armada, p178,
[xvi] to See the site of the above stated investigation
[xvii] In May 1993, bishop Mervyn Alexander of the diocese of Clifton some England emitted three instructions to
the intention of the NC of his/her/its diocese:
1 - they had to interrupt the catéchèses lasting one year, the time, for the diocese, to study the of it,
contained; 2 - all catéchèse to come would be prepared in order to correspond to the new catechism of
the Catholic church; 3 - he/it was not anymore question to organize of the separated paschal vigils. Sunday
March 20, 1994, the parochial priests, last, on the bishop's order, to read the top of the chair a letter,
pastorale in which he/it reaffirmed these three points and ordered their implementation. In January
1997, the bishop of Clifton concluded the investigation while excluding the NC of his/her/its diocese: "After carefully
considering
the findings of this enquiry and extensive consultation with the Diocesan
Council Priests of
and
other advisors, I haggard decided that the methodology and spirituality of the
Neo-Catechumenate
haggard been has reason of serious disunity and spiritual harm certain among
of
Christ's Faithful and
therefore
I decree ace follows:
[1] that
the catechetical and evangelism methods of the
"Neo-Catechumenate" are neither
beneficial
nor appropriate heart uses in this diocese;
[2]
that the "Neo Catechumenate" is to be discontinued in the Diocese of
Clifton, forthwith.
Given
Clifton at, this twenty-eighth day of January in the year of Our Lord 1997 and
the
nineteenth
year of the Supreme
Pastorate
of Our Holy Father Priest John Paul II.
Bishop "Clifton of
The tie following deal all details on what he/it is suited to call "the NC business of the diocese of
Clifton":
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Ronald_Haynes/welcome.htm
In France: "The doubts that the bishops French expressed on the occasion of the synod of 1987 are the
result of long years of problems with the Path NC. (...) The divisions and the controversies some
comes on soon to one point as the cardinal Marty, then Primate, forbidden the expansion of the movement
during numerous years. Even today, the Path NC is not taken on the list of the
Catholic associations approved by the Conference of the French bishops." (Urquhart, The armada,
of the Pope, p. 119)
[xviii] the pope's armada, p 45,
[xix] the pope's armada, p 262,
[xx] The path of the imperfection : the holiness poor des , edict. Anne Sigier, 2000,
[xxi] the pope's armada, p 84,
[xxii] is not this not here " usurper titles it of apostle" as says it Apocalypse 2,2
[xxiii] Orientation to the teams of catechists for the first phase of conversion, p 30,
[xxiv] Ibid. p 103
[xxv] the pope's armada, p 376,
[xxvi] Ibid. p 380
[xxvii] to See the letter of the Father Zoffoli to Radio Maria, available on Internet, in Italian on the www.geocities.com site while hitting in the section religion Enrico Zoffoli.
[xxviii] The Father Zoffoli in the same letter écrit : " We don't have business to theological subtleties but to a heresy. a serious heresy."
[xxix] the Pope's armada, already mentioned, p 360
[xxx] Orientations. p 50
[xxxi] Speaking idolatry, maybe the members of the NC should wonder if the movement, his/her/its founding Kiko Arguëllo, or even the Pope would not be for them a topic of idolâtrie !
[xxxii] the pope's armada, p 265,
[xxxiii] Ibid. p 267
[xxxiv] Ibid. p 273
[xxxv] Ibid. p 140
[xxxvi] Article Internet, above stated, p 6
[xxxvii] Ibid. p 368
[xxxviii] Ibid. p 122
[xxxix] Ibid. p382-383
[xl] Orientation to the teams of catechists. already mentioned p 50
[xli] what of reprehensible has in this demand that is than her apply to all without distinction, unrestricted, without discretion.
[xlii] the pope's armada, p 373,
[xliii] Ibid. p 318
[xliv] to See the available investigation on Internet of the diocese of Clifton some England as well as all complementary files while passing by the address www.psychologueclinicien.com
