www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Melkite Leader Invites Neocatechumenal Way

Right. And surely you guys know better what's good for the Melkites in Galilee than Archbishop Elias.

Very Catholic, very Catholic indeed.

Shalom,
Memo

I never said nor implied that.

I think that's all I have to say, really.

Alexis

I think that Alexis is making a very good point. I don't know much about this New Catechemunate Way but I am familiar with new religious movements like the Charismatic renewal. I will limit my comments to what I do know based on my experience. My experience has been that in many renewal movements there is a perception that something intrinsic to true faith and holiness is missing from the Church. But, typically, these movements do not look back into the tradition to find what is missing. Rather, they invent new "experiences" like the modern day version of speaking in tongues (which is not true biblical tongues) and pop-folk Masses, etc. Looking at the life of St. Francis of Assisi, one sees a clear difference between St. Francis and the modernist way of trying to renew the Church.

St. Francis saw how the Church had been corrupted by wealth. Even the religious orders were corrupted. St. Francis had a calling to return to the primitive poverty of Jesus Christ, the Apostles, the early Church, and the desert fathers. His movement of renewal was rooted in the tradition. It was a recovery of what had been forgotten by the Church at large. As Alexis pointed out, St. Francis had no interest in changing the Liturgy, inventing some new form of ministry, or forming some new sect within the Church. St. Francis was simply called to that true monastic austerity that was the spirituality of St. Antony and the fathers and mothers of the desert.

Joe

Joe

I have just spotted something more about this Group New Article [chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it...d=148521&eng=y]

This makes interesting reading .

I would still be concerned about their help being offered

I think that has been the problem with the charismatics from day one. That movement is not about any link to tradition. It seems, rather to be centered around individual feelings. I sense from talking to some of these folks that "it's all about me and how I feel," rather than what the Church teaches or holds to be true. I tend to agree with a statement Archbishop Sheen made some years ago, that the Charismatic Movement is a grave danger to the Church. Now I fully expect someone linked to that group to say something along the lines of, "that was in the early days of the movement. Sheen would have retracted that if he had known more about the fruits of the movement." I think Sheen knew exactly what he was saying and meant it. I fully expect the spirit those folks profess to follow will eventually lead them out of the Church. Just out of curiosity, is there any equivalent for the RC charismatics in Orthodox Churches in the United States?

Dear Charles,

I believe the Orthodox Church affirms that it is the ORIGINAL Pentecostal Church blessed with the fullness of the Charismata of the Holy Spirit!

Alex

Alex, I thought there was only one Pentecost, so there wouldn't be any need for another. I keep hearing about this "new Pentecost" that's supposed to happen, has happened, or something similar. I suspect the one recounted in scripture is the only one there will ever be.

Orthodoxy considers the fruits of the charismatic movement, such as speaking in tongues, as 'lesser' gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We have no such movement or desire in the Orthodox Church...then again, we haven't been inundated with Pentecostal prosletysm as many RC countries and peoples have been. Sometimes I also think that we are lucky that we are so small and unknown...it tends to keep us off of the radar screen of other groups and their faith agendas.

Alice

I think that traditional Orthodox spirituality is so immersed in the Holy Spirit that there simply isn't any need for charismatic renewal. I will make just one comment having to do with the speaking in tongues, since that has from the beginning been the "sign" of the charismatic renewal.

In my opinion, and in the opinion of most New Testament exegetes, the speaking in tongues of Acts 2 is the model for speaking in tongues. So, what is this model? Acts 2 is the undoing of the tower of Babel. In Acts 2, the disciples miraculously preach the Gospel and it is heard in all languages. This is true speaking in tongues. In a contemporary setting, this would mean that a missionary might be inspired to speak in tongues (meaning the language of the natives he is evangelizing) without ever having studied the language. What does this not mean? It does not mean that tongues is a private prayer language or some unique gift that shows some unique "baptism in the holy Spirit"

True speaking in tongues is the miraculous preaching of the Gospel in a language that one has not studied. Given the resources available today, there is not much need for the speaking in tongues. In fact, many of the fathers talked about the cessation of tongues and prophecy after the 1st century A.D. I can provide citations if needed

That being said, I will give my opinion, for better or worse, of the charismatic movement. I'm sure that someone is going to be offended. But I will try to be as honest, yet non-polemical as possible.

In my opinion, in western Christianity in the western world (meaning US and Europe, but also South America), there has been such a neglect of an integrated spirituality that people have yearned for some kind of experience of the Spirit. I think that this has resulted in people confusing their own emotional piety with the presence of the Holy Spirit. What we call the charismatic movement has its roots in the holiness and pentecostal movements of 19th century America. The holiness and pentecostal movements have their origin in 18th century German pietism. Pietism rejected rational and objective spirituality and instead turned to an emotional, passionate spirituality. Interestingly enough, the notion of bowing one's head and closing one's eyes has its origin in pietism. Prior to pietism, the standard was to pray, eyes open, head up toward God, and (in Semitic traditions) arms extended.

So, in my opinion, at its best, the charismatic movement (in all churches) is a well intentioned but doctrinally abberant movement. At its worst, well....

I realize that I am risking offending someone. I apologize. But, in my view, the modern charismatic movement is a reaction to the impoverished spirituality of the modern Church and it is not an expression of Orthodox faith.

Joe

Alice,
I don't know if that is actually true.
I have know Orthodox priests and layity involved in the Charismatic Renewal and even believe that they held a national conference.
Stephanos I

They may have had such, but it has no official standing or blessing from any of the hierarchs in the Orthodox Church.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

This article should be enough to make anybody nervous about this group.
Dn. Robert

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=148521&eng=y

The Way of the Neocatechumenals Is Still Rocky
Vatican approval for its new statutes is on the way � but not for the catechisms of the founders. And differences over the liturgical rites persist. Relations are also mixed with the Greek Melkite Church, and with the patriarchate of Moscow

by Sandro Magister

ROMA, June 14, 2007 � At the beginning of Lent this year, speaking with the priests of his Rome diocese, Benedict XVI said in regard to the Neocatechumenal Way:

�It is being considered whether, after five years of experimentation, the statutes for the Neocatechumenal Way should be confirmed in a definitive manner, or if more time for experimentation is needed, or if perhaps some elements of this structure should be modified.�

Now it appears that the pope has resolved his doubts. On Saturday, May 26, he received in audience the founder of the Way, Francisco �Kiko� Arg�ello, who was accompanied by co-foundress Carmen Hern�ndez and by the priest Mario Pezzi, and assured them � according to a statement Kiko made two days later to the Spanish daily �La Raz�n� � that the definitive approval of the statutes is near at hand.

Authorized by the Holy See in 2002 �ad experimentum� for a period of five years, the current statutes of the Way expire on June 29. It will be interesting to see what variations will be contained in the new statutes as compared with the earlier, experimental ones.

The Neocatechumenal Way, founded in Spain in the 1960�s, is one of the most vigorously flourishing Catholic movements. With 20,000 communities in 6,000 parishes in 900 dioceses on all the continents, with 3,000 priests and 5,000 religious. It has an international network of 63 �Redemptoris Mater� seminaries.

Again according to Kiko�s statements to �La Raz�n,� Benedict XVI extended his compliments for the missionary activity that the Way carries out in all the continents, and particularly in Asia.

Nevertheless, the Way is also the object of reservations and criticisms on the part of the Church hierarchy.

The anthologies of the catecheses that have been delivered to the members of the Neocatechumenal communities have for many years been under examination by the Vatican authorities, but their definitive approval still seems a long way off.

These texts, contained in multiple volumes under the title �Cammino Neocatecumenale. Orientamenti alle �quipes dei catechisti [The Neocatechumenal Way: Guidelines for the Teams of Catechists],� collect the oral tradition of the movement�s initiators, and in particular of Kiko and Carmen Hern�ndez. They are not public, and the Vatican congregation for the doctrine of the faith has made their approval dependant upon a lengthy series of corrections.

There are other reservations about the ways in which the liturgy is celebrated in the Way.

On December 1, 2005, cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the congregation for divine worship and the discipline of the sacraments, addressed to the heads of the Way a letter requesting six corrections.

The most important correction concerned the manner of receiving Eucharistic communion: not seated around �a cloth-covered table placed at the center of the church ,� but either standing or kneeling after a procession to the altar, as prescribed for all the faithful by the liturgical books.

Arinze gave two years for adoption of the correct way of receiving communion. And on January 12, 2006, at an audience with thousands of Neocatechumenals, Benedict XVI insisted that they obey.

But as of today, in many Neocatechumenal communities all over the world, communion is still received as before, seated.

Confirmation of this disobedience comes from the frequent reminders that the bishops address to the Neocatechumenal communities present in their dioceses.

In Italy, the latest reminder of this kind was issued by the bishop of Avellino, Francesco Marino. The document bears the date of March 26, 2007, and attached to it is the letter from cardinal Arinze dated December 1, 2005.

Last February 25, in a collective letter to the members of the Way, the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, and the other Catholic bishops of the Holy Land also reproved the Neocatechumenal communities for making themselves a group apart, for celebrating the Mass separately from the parishes, for not observing the liturgical rites, for ignoring the language and culture of the local people.

On the other hand, the Neocatechumenals have a strong presence in the Holy Land, which the region�s bishops would like to channel and capitalize upon.

Proof of this is the letter that the Melkite Greek Catholic archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee, Elias Chacour, addressed March 30, 2007, to Fr. Rino Rossi, director of �Domus Galilaeae,� the edifice on the Mount of the Beatitudes, inaugurated by John Paul II in 2000, that is the general headquarters of the Neocatechumenals in the Holy Land.

Archbishop Chacour proposed to the Neocatechumenal Way, already active �with excellent results� in various parishes of his diocese, that they �graft one of their branches onto our Church and adopt the Melkite Catholic rite.�

But the prospects for this union remain to be seen. In October of 2006, Kiko, Carmen Hern�ndez, and Fr. Mario Pezzi, on a visit to Moscow, made a proposal in the opposite direction to the Russian Orthodox Church: they proposed teaching the Orthodox priests the system of evangelization used in the Neocatechumenal communities, and then �equipping� some of them to doing the same.

A dispatch from the news agency Zenit on October 22 presented as already in effect �the agreement� between the Way and the patriarchate of Moscow.

But it wasn�t that way. The patriarchate of Moscow was afraid that the Neocatechumenals wanted to proselytize among the Orthodox priests, and denied the existence of any sort of agreement with the Way, which it described as �a very contradictory organization.�

There was nothing left for Kiko to do but release a statement of apology.

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