In anticipation of this meeting, members of the local NCW have been throwing us the usual "just wait you'll see, the pope is on our side." Nothing new of course. They've been doing it for decades, turning every meeting into a photo op, and every photo op into the equivalent of a dogmatic proclamation of a major council. It doesn't matter the actual content of the meeting. What matters is the optics, the visual.
What also matters is Neocats' ability to co-opt the extremely measured language of papal-speak to serve their ends. Thus we have the absence, in the Statute, of an outright condemnation of the way they distribute Holy Communion, transformed into an outright permission to continue status quo! And thus we have the severe rebuke of Pope Benedict at the last big Vatico-Neo shindig (Jan. 20, 2012), transformed into an outright approval of the neocat liturgy when Benedict said just the opposite.
Let's look at this news story from Zenit. My comments are in [red].
Pope to Meet with 10,000 Members of the Neocatechumenal Way Tomorrow
Will Send Out 414 New Families in Mission All Over the World
Vatican City, January 31, 2014 (Zenit.org)
Pope Francis will meet in audience with an estimated 10,000 members of the Neocatechumenal Way tomorrow at the Vatican.
This will be the first meeting with the ‘itinerary of Christian initiation for adults’ since his election as Supreme Pontiff. The Pope met in September with Kiko Argüello, Carmen Hernández and Fr. Mario Pezzi, leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way.
Following the example of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the Holy Father will send new missionary families to evangelize all over the world, particularly in Asia. On this occasion, he will send 414 families in mission, from which several will be part of 40 new missio ad gentes in the world. An estimated 100 families who are already in mission in various parts of the world are expected to attend. [Of course, the pope is "sending" nobody. Kiko is. The pope is simply giving them his blessing and his encouragement, as he does for everyone else he meets with. As you can see, Kiko, being a visual artist, is a master of optics. The event is cast as "the pope is one of us", and the visuals will be used, as they have in the past, to beat down all the critics.]
The missio ad gentes refers to the evangelization in areas where the Church has little or no presence. [The missio ad gentes to Guam, at the invitation of our Archbishop, began over a decade ago. Apparently the Archbishop believed that even after 400 years of Catholicism, the "Church has little or no presence". If true, then whose fault is that?] The majority of the families that will be sent by Pope Francis [You see. They are "sent by Pope Francis" so don't question us] are from Europe, particularly families from Spain and Italy. Each missio is comprised of four families, one priest, a lay person or seminarian, an elderly woman and three lay women who collaborate in the mission. [Gotta wonder how they came up with that mix?]
According to communique sent by the Neocatechumenal Way, the missio ad gentes follows an “apostolic model of the primitive Church” among those far away from the Church or non-baptized. [Yes, of course, after 400 years of Catholicism, the people of Guam are "far away from the Church and in need of Kiko's catechism.]
"Together, they create a Christian community that shows, among the pagans, the signs of faith: love and perfect unity.” [Get that? "the pagans! Even if we were really "pagans", who the heck even uses that word anymore to describe non-Christian peoples? Oh, yah, right. The Neocats.]
In an interview with ZENIT in December, Argüello expressed his hope to present the work that God is doing with the Way. “It is a work of God, not mine, nor of anyone else,” he said. [So then, Mr. Kiko, why don't you use the Catechism of the Catholic Church to do God's work and not your own? But again, the optics. This is God's work. More on this below.]
“Our charism can never be separated from the Successor of Peter; it would not survive.” [Cough, cough, choke...ummm, we can't even get you to follow your own Statute. Every Saturday night you give the Successor of Peter the finger by ignoring his demand that you conform your liturgy to the liturgical books. But facts don't matter, only optics, and money, lots of it, and apparently more than one bishop is for sale.]
*****
Kiko claims that the Neocatechumenal Way is God's work. It appears he's right since he has a penchant for painting himself as God. The following was put together by another astute observer:
Perhaps you didn’t know, but Kiko Argüello, the founder and leader of the Neocatechumenal Way, is an accomplished artist, and his work is very popular among his followers. Here’s a sample of his icons and paintings of our Lord, with our Lord as an infant in the two in the lower left side:
Some of Kiko’s critics in Europe insist that he often inserts his self-portrait into the faces of our Lord that he paints. I’ve seen the evidence, and I’m really not convinced. Well, maybe with one exception. Check out Kiko’s 1979 “Buen Pastor” (Good Shepherd):
You be the judge.
In any event, seeing Jesus with short hair and a receding hairline is a bit disconcerting, don’t you think? And just think, this art WILL be coming to your parish soon, if not already.
Sick and tired of the BS! So as not to move away from the Catholic Faith, we will no longer be parishioners at any set village, but instead attend masses on a military installation. This way we will not be obliged to donate for anything.
ReplyDeleteSo any military cardholders this may be a way for you to get away from all this.
Maybe the Archbishop will definitely see a drop in the limosna box.
ROME WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEOCATECHUMEN AS THE SUPERIOR EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT!
I am done with the local churches!
While we're on the subject of Kiko's art, I have heard that each NCW community has to get outfitted with Kiko-designed carpets, bibles and sacramentaries signed by Kiko, patens, etc...Can anybody verify this?
ReplyDeleteIf true, then Kiko's got an entrepreneurial spirit to rival yours, Mr. Rohr!
Is Tim being too kind? He says it's "optics," while I straight out say it's deceptive and dishonest.
ReplyDeleteIs it to the degree of evil? I don't think so. But why purposefully mislead their members and the public? To have to promote a false narrative of our Pope's blessing as if he is directly involved in "sending out" these missionaries is indication that something is amiss. They are being less than truthful to their members and they are thinking that we will be hoodwinked as well.
I wonder if Pope Francis is aware that such contorting is being utilized in his name.
I can confirm that the community must purchase an icon as painted by Kiko. You have to put money in the thrash bag after a few months walking to get your own icon, cross, and tapestry all designed by Kiko. Our community had to pay about $300 for everything.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ric. Are communities pressured to get anything else other than icons, crosses, and tapestry? How about carpets, chalices, and signed bibles. I heard that the paten (the plate that covers the chalice during Mass) was also signed by Kiko. Is there any truth to that?
Delete$300.00? I have friends in the NCW and they mentioned that their community spent thousands to get these Kiko items. I've asked them why are they obligated to use these items for their celebrations and their answer was, their catechist says that this is what Kiko wants all the communities to use in their celebrations.
DeleteYou are correct. A community can spend thousands in getting these things especially if you want "real" authentic ones from Kiko. Our community couldn't afford it. And yes we must have a carpet for our celebrations. Usually a large one and we have to buy the chalice designed for the communities which is another round in the thrash bag. It was also a couple hundred. But if you want your community to advance you need to get them. Very sad.
Delete"...their catechist says that this is what Kiko wants..."
DeleteThe more we pull back the veil and shine the light in, the longer the shadows get.
I wish those in the Way would lift the veil off their eyes so they can see the lies the cathechists tell us. I'm glad I did before it got worse.
DeleteTim, I'm sure you feel backlash from many for reporting all this. God Bless You and your family for speaking out with courage. I will certainly pray for you and for all of us reading this blog to have the strength to stand up and say "ENOUGH" I will not support an Archbishop who defies the Holy Father! We are having a Parish Council meeting next week to discuss the AAA and I will be sure to share this blog with my parish family so they too will know the truth!
ReplyDeleteMaria
To anonymous Feb.1, 2:26pm (Maria): I'm sure most priests know about this blog, but I'm not sure most of the “manamko” in our parishes know about it (although they may be aware about the ousting of Fr. Gofigan), nor do most parish council members. What you're doing of sharing this to your parish council therefore, is a very effective way to rally People Power to action -- we need to guide people to this site so they can become informed, and then they can reflect on the immorality of actions from the Chancery and the NCW, and decide what needs to be done against all the dishonesty by not contributing toward the upcoming “Appeal.” And for People Power to be really powerful, we need to encourage as many not only to refuse to contribute, but also send their letter of complaint to our Pope in Rome and another to the Apostolic Nuncio. This will be THE PEOPLE POWER that the Chancery will SEE, HEAR and FEEL!
DeletePope Francis' first Lenten message to focus on poverty, generosity
ReplyDeletePope Francis has chosen the theme, "He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich," for this year's Lenten message, said a Vatican statement.
The pope is truly right! Our churches will be poor just as we are, while the Archbishop and his team become rich. So theme so fitting and proper for the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal!
Kiko Argüello: This Pope leaves me speechless: he is a surprising person and his charism is brilliant. The first thing he told me when I met him was “What a great lío (to make a mess or shaking things up) you have made in the Church, you must continue to do so.” In the private audience in September, however, I told him: “Father, I am a sinner” and he replied: “Then we are both: you and I. He then added, “Courage, Kiko, you are responsible of an important charism, I respect whatever you decide.” I was very moved by these words of the Holy Father.
ReplyDeletePope Francis respects whatever Kiko decides. It's late I have to go to sleep.
This is true.
DeleteOh that's nice. Let's just wait for whatever Kiko says, because whatever Kiko says, the Pope has issued his pre-authorization. If Kiko says, give me $75 million property in Guam for nothing, we gotta do it, because the Pope says "If Kiko wants it, he gets it!" Besides, this is what Kiko says the Pope said. Kinda self-serving "quote," d'ya think? Let me hear it from the Pope himself and what the Pope exactly means by it.
DeleteSomeone asked me what the big deal is with the way the Neo's receive Holy Communion. I happened to find this post from Catholic Answers and it's worth reading. It doesn't answer the question but it touches on liturgical abuses and how to handle them: http://www.catholic.com/blog/michelle-arnold/the-crystal-carafe-and-the-coffee-cup
ReplyDelete