Pope Francis Receives Neocatechumenal Way Initiators

Pope Francis received today in a private audience at the Apostolic Palace, Kiko Arguello, Carmen Hernandez and Fr. Mario Pezzi, initiators and responsibles at the international level of the Neocatechumenal Way. During the meeting, the Pontiff expressed his gratitude to the Way saying: “I thank you for the immense good that you are doing for the whole Church.”

In his statement, Argüello underlined the great love which they had received by the Holy Father. During the 30 minute meeting, they spoke, among other things, of the “missio ad gentes” that this Christian initiation has all over the world, as well as on the importance of the evangelization of Asia. The initiators of the Way explained to Pope Francis the desire to organize vocational meetings in different countries with the goal of bringing forward 20,000 priests that will be in the service of the New Evangelization in this continent, where, as Blessed John Paul said, the evangelization of the Third Millenium would take place.

The Neocatechumenal Way: A Fruit of the Second Vatican Council

One June 26th, Kiko Argüello received a Laurea Honoris Causa in Sacred Theology from the prestigious John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland), for his contribution to the renewal of the Church. According to the university, the Neocatechumenal Way has followed “attentively the directions of the Second Vatican Council, bringing back Christians who have strayed from the ecclesial community to the foundations of the faith that spring from the Bible and from the Liturgy.” Among the reasons for receiving the honorary title, was the “preparation of the missio ad gentes, the active contribution of the Neocatechumenal itinerary, in the encounter between Christianity and Judaism and in the defense of the values of life, of human dignity, of marriage and of the Christian family.