Saturday, March 7, 2015

BE NOT AFRAID!

I was waiting to receive the expected barrage of "you lose" comments before I addressed the speech Pope Francis gave to the Neocatechumenal Way yesterday.

I wasn't disappointed. The viciousness, vindictiveness, and overall hate accompanying the "you lose" comments was a rousing testimony to the real fruit of the Neocatechumenal Way.

Meanwhile, for the intelligent, let's review:

The pope's meeting with the Neocatechumenal Way yesterday is nothing new. The leaders of the Way hold the event every year. On the right sidebar - with the short clip of Kiko railing about - is a link to an excerpt from last years meeting. The NCW has pretty much held this event every year since 1974.


There are over 100 officially recognized lay movements in the church, the NCW being only one of them - even though the NCW refuses to accept the label of "movement." And the pope meets annually with many of them.

In fact, two days earlier, Pope Francis met with 60 bishops who belong to a group called the "Bishop Friends of the Focolare". These are bishops who have chosen to live out their lives in union with the ideals of the Focolare movement. And while the NCW may have it's friendly bishops, there is no equivalent group of Bishop-Friends for the NCW. Obviously Focolare is much more respected by the world's bishops than is Kiko' s cult. 

The pope also meets annually with the leaders and members of the Focolare, their last meeting being on October 1, 2014. It's worth reading his comments to the members of the Focolare as they are almost exactly the same comments he shared with the NCW and with every group: urging its members to share the Gospel, to go out and engage, to be faithful to the Church, unity, etc.

It's also very similar to the same message he shared with all the ecclesial movements and communities at the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities on November 22, 2014.

Every group in the church, lay, religious, and clerical, has its issues. Because the pope has direct control over religious communities and the clergy, he can act quickly and disciplinary with them. With lay movements, the popes have been more careful. The popes do not have administrative authority over individual members of the laity as they do with clergy and religious, so they tend to address problems in a more positive fashion - encouraging them in the way they should go rather than publicly pointing out their errors. 

In fact, one of the matters positively addressed by the pope in his address to the Focolare movement was the recent overhaul they just did with their leadership. Apparently the previous leadership had gotten old and crusty and things were veering away from the group's founding charism, and so the group decided to renew itself by changing its leadership. 

Ecclesial groups, religious orders, and just about every kind of group in the church has a mechanism for this, but not so the Neocatechumenal Way. Kiko and Carmen saw to it that they were enthroned for life. But that's another matter.

The main point is that while our Kikos will go Kukoo over the few nice words thrown to them, there is no special conference of any significance to note. As just demonstrated, the pope says pretty much the same to every group.

HOWEVER, he DID say something very different to the Kiko's this time, and for anyone who knows, this was a big slap down of Kiko Arguello, and it was probably the pope's way of getting back at him for the way he was treated by Kiko at the same event last year (where the pope was made to sit in front of the whole world and receive a personal catechesis at the hands of Kiko).

Here's how the pope began his talk to the NCW:
Peter's task is to confirm his brothers and sisters in the faith. So you too have wanted with this gesture to ask the Successor of Peter to confirm your call, to support your mission, to bless your charism. And I want to confirm your call, support your mission and bless your charism.  I’m doing that not because I’ve been paid to: No!  (laughs) I’m doing it because I want to.  You will go forth in the name of Christ into the world to bring His Gospel: Christ will precede, Christ will accompany and Christ will fulfill the salvation of which you are bearers!
This was a direct hit on Kiko. Here's why:

Anyone who has ever engaged a kiko is usually given a lecture about how they were "sent here by the pope himself." This "sending by the pope" is the kiko's primary calling card. The main reference point for this "calling card" is this annual event where Kiko makes it look like the Pope himself has called the meeting and has personally selected the so-called missionaries and is himself sending them out to us heathens.

Pope Francis is a smart man, and as he has also shown, he is willing to go outside traditional papal decorum. A Benedict XVI would have quietly accepted last year's Kiko-lecture and perhaps tried to work with Kiko behind the scenes for what was truly a public humiliation of the pope, but not Francis.

Here he takes Kiko out at the knees. He lets the whole world know that he DID NOT call the meeting: 
"So you too have wanted this gesture to ASK the Successor of Peter to confirm your call, to bless your charism."
This had to be devastating for Kiko to hear and I'm rolling on the floor laughing (okay, maybe not on the floor). He is saying
"Look guys, not only am I not sending you anywhere, I didn't even call this little charade, and I'm not going to let you use me. Your Kiko-nut called this meeting and begged me to do this and I'm not going to let him get away with his bullcrap of making the world think that the pope is behind your deal. If you want me to bless your mission, okay, sure, I'll bless it, but don't screw with me, got it?"
He even goes on to underscore this point by mockingly suggesting that Kiko paid him to do it!
"I’m doing that not because I’ve been paid to: No!  (laughs) I’m doing it because I want to. "
The pope blesses hundreds of groups every year, you will not find any example of him even suggesting a joke about being paid to give a blessing. But he does so with Kiko!

So folks, I can't tell you how encouraging this talk was!

For anyone who has been following the NCW mess, this is a devastating address. And here's how you can tell. You will read and hear from the kiko's ONLY about all the positive things mentioned (stuff he says to everybody anyway). You will not read or hear about this extremely strange "welcome" where the pope specifically makes it known that the meeting was not his idea and then mocks the organizer by joking about being paid to do it. 

So many of you want to know why the pope just doesn't do something with these fools (Kiko and Carmen) and spare the church the agony of their continuing devastation. 

Here's the answer.

In the scheme of things, the Neo problem is really a very small one, and most of the world's bishops either have it under control or already have the authority to have it under control. The pope knows that controlling the neo is the bishop's job, and it even says so in their statute. 

Next, the pope has much larger issues in front of him, the absolute mess and in-fighting that is going on in the Curia and the crushing of Christianity in the Middle East by ISIS and now even a threat from ISIS to murder him. 

But closer to the point, as mentioned, the popes are normally quite careful with how they handle lay movements. They know the laity doesn't have to submit to them the way religious and clergy do. Thus they normally take a much longer view of how to handle problems, and the normal way is to let these movements either burn out on their own or naturally wind down to where their errors are of little effect.

However, as previously mentioned, with the NCW there is the added complication that Kiko and Carmen have (in their statute) set themselves up as "dictators for life". Whereas groups like the Focolare can renew themselves by electing new leadership (as can religious orders), the NCW has no such option.

Thus, Rome's only practical option to fix the NCW is to wait for its dictators-for-life to die. For us in Guam, unique in the world because of our bishop's membership in the group, that may seem like a very long time, but not for Rome. Meanwhile, let us accept this curse as an opportunity to grow ever stronger in our faith.

"Be not afraid." 

23 comments:

  1. Becky Terlaje TovesMarch 7, 2015 at 11:48 AM

    As we've witnessed on countless occasions, the NCW will put a spin on anything and everything to suit their purposes. It's gotten to the point that it sounds like one delusion after another, starting with the Archbishop and working its way down, all in an effort to justify what they're doing. Not only is that utterly sad, it just shows the group mindset of believing whatever they're told - without question and without investigating the truth of the matter. The Kikos in the group (including Fr. Pius, the 3 As, the responsibles, and the cathecists) are especially culpable for the harm they cause. For those who are "walking," be careful about what you're told and lead to believe. For us "regular" Catholics, be vigilant!

    And once again, thank you Tim for the continual updates and for giving us the facts.

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    1. Thanks again Becky for your encouraging words. WE must all stand vigilant in standing true to the Catholic Church. This NEO Cult will once again use this charade and say that the Pope has blessed their mission. The only way is to decrease the collections, thus forcing the island leadership to abandon this cult as it is detrimental to the future of the Catholic Church in Guam. Stand firm, we know the churches have bills to pay, but think about it, the more $$ you put into the basket will end up in developing more NEO Presbyters that will saturate all of our parishes in Guam. I'm still confused on how our church leadership has fallen under the influence of two non-religious cult leaders (Kiko and Carmen) whose one desire is to fill their pockets and coercing our church leaders to lie in front of our faces for the benefit of their mission. Thanks Tim for continuing to open our eyes and unveiling the truth of this Cult that has taken over our Catholic Church. Continue to pray from a distance for reconciliation and the return of the One Apostolic Church as taught by AAA’s predecessors +Archbishop Flores, +Bishop Baumgartner and +Bishop Olano whom are resting in peace in the Cathedral Basilica Sanctuary. Unless there is a change to the current course, AAA with the power of the laity stands to lose his right to be buried amongst these great leaders of our Catholic Church.

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  2. yep, i thought his address this time around was a lot more "generic" (as in, it's essentially the same message he gives to other lay movements) than the scathing one he gave them last year. after all, he's already told them last year what they needed to do; there's no need for him to repeat himself.

    but it was strange that he'd joke about getting paid. at first i thought maybe it's because he's become buddy-buddy and comfortable with kiko. but that doesn't make much sense to me, given what i've seen about pope francis. but your explanation, on the other hand, makes perfect sense.

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  3. I really don't think Pope Francis will turn Judas like AAA and his ilk. I believe the powers of hell are using different approaches to bring the pope down. Praying to St. Michael to protect the pope and the Church along with the faithful fighting for Her.

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  4. “And I want to confirm your call, support your mission and bless your charism. …. This is the Neocatechumenal Way, a true gift of Providence to the Church of our time, as my predecessors have already stated; especially St. John Paul II when he said: "I recognize the Neocatechumenal Way as an itinerary of Catholic formation, valid for society and for our times". … The Way is based on the three dimensions of the Church which are the Word, Liturgy and Community. So obedient and constant listening to the Word of God; the Eucharistic celebration in small community after the first Vespers of Sunday, the family celebration of lauds on Sunday with all the children gathered round and sharing their faith with other brothers and sisters are at the origin of the many gifts the Lord has given to you as well as the many vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. It is a great consolation to see all of this…. Go forth with my blessing!” These are the words of the Pope.

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    1. I published this comment so you can see how the kikos will edit the pope's comments to fashion them into the message that he wants. Notice the above commenter leaves off the whole first part which begins:

      "Peter's task is to confirm his brothers and sisters in the faith. So you too have wanted with this gesture to ask the Successor of Peter to confirm your call, to support your mission, to bless your charism."

      Our commenter leaves this part out because it is devastating. The kikos can no longer say "the pope sent us". So our commenter just copies:

      "And I want to confirm your call, support your mission and bless your charism."

      And of course he leaves off the following sentence:

      "I’m doing that not because I’ve been paid to: No! (laughs) I’m doing it because I want to."

      He leaves it off for obvious reasons. The fact is that this is not really a joke. The pope knows he's being pressured. He can't say no and Kiko knows it. This is why he jokes about it.

      And of course he "wants to". He "wants to" bless everyone because he is everyone's spiritual father. In particularly he wants to bless the neo members before him because he knows how much danger they are in, not from the fake missions they'll be going to (Wadeson was on mission in San Francisco living in one million dollar plus mansion), but from the fake theology of their founder.

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  5. Here's the funniest part about the pope's speech:

    "For years now the Way has been undertaking these missio ad gentes among non-Christians, for an implantatio Ecclesiae, a new presence of the Church, where the Church does not exist or is no longer able to reach people."

    I think you can see why it's funny. This is "pope speak", it's a reminder of what they are really supposed to be doing because it is what they said they were going to do. But of course we know that this is NOT what they do. Instead, they come into existing Catholic churches and parishes, interrupt our Masses, and under the auspices of our bishop, lure well-meaning people away into their cult with normal sounding words like catechesis.

    If the pope could only see the pampered palace that is RMS on Guam. Missio ad gentes? Right. It's a scam. The pope knows it's a scam which is why he joked about having to be paid to do the blessing. But he knows that the best thing for now is actually keep speaking the truth to these people (reminding them of their real mission) and like he did last year, telling them to lay off the coercion.

    Of course on Guam, even if the pope really does endorse the Way, how does that justify the vicious lied and destruction of Apuron, Quitugua, and Cristobal? It doesn't. Evil is evil.

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  6. Excellent article Tim. Everyone knows its a scam. We just want the scam not controlling Guam.
    Means Apuron has to go.

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  7. i often see neocats referencing "first vespers" and "lauds." any chance they're actually faithful to the liturgy of the hours and didn't mess with that?

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  8. Apparently, the Neo leadership operates differently in the mainland. They have a presence in the Archdiocese of Boston. The following is from the diocesan newspaper, "The Pilot," the oldest Catholic newspaper in the U. S.:

    "The Neocatechumenal Way begins in a parish by the invitation of the pastor. A team of catechists presents a series of catechesis to parishioners that opens a small faith community where parishioners are formed in a deeper understanding of their baptismal roots."

    On Guam, we have coercion by an archbishop who has no idea how to live the example of Christ; and a rector and vicar general who follow his lead! They all follow their puppet master Gennarini.
    Eileen Benavente-Blas

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    1. The pilot is just paraphrasing the neo's statute. The neo's actually violate their statute everywhere, not just Guam. It's the persecution of non neo clergy by their own bishop that is unique to Guam.

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    2. I thought Guam wasn't unique with a Bishop walking in the way. How about that Peru Bishop who is trying to coerce five clergy members out? I believe it was in one of your previous post.

      Why does it seem like the neo uses Italian mafia tactics like in the movie Godfather?

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    3. Antonio Enrique, Editor of the Pilot, is a member of the NCW. Also Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, is also a strong supporter of the NCW. Cardinal Sean is on the board of trustees for the NCW's Domus Jerusalem project.

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    4. 1057. Yep, there is the Peru guy. That's rather recent. Follows the pattern though.

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    5. The bishop of Miami installed last year is a neo and is the first US bishop formed at an RMS seminary in the states. He was a neo from age 13. Will have to follow up and see if there are any rumblings there with neos and non-neos.
      Eileen Benavente-Blas

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  9. I wonder how much donations they collect during their Saturday night parties at our Catheral??? I'm not donating anymore because it's obvious it goes to support their Neo Non-Sence.

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    1. The money collected in the Neo gatherings stays within the NCW. I seriously doubt they pay for the power and use of the facilities. Moochers gracias!

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    2. At Santa Barbara I no longer put money in the collections during Mass on Sunday or weekdays. My money goes directly to GPA for the Santa Barbara Church power bill. We write out checks to GPA, submit them to the parish office where they turn in all the checks plus the difference if it's not enough for the monthly billing.
      Eileen Benavente-Blas

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    3. Just to clarify, directly paying parish expenses has no real net benefit over donating to the regular collection. In the end, all you are doing is reducing the amount of burden on the collection which in turn frees up more money for Apuron to take. The only way to continue supporting your parish without simultaneously, albeit indirectly, supporting Apuron's farce is through a combination of the non-profit concept AND zero regular donations. Imagine if you will that a parish is able to be self supporting on contributions made to the non-profit. All Apuron will do is take 100% of the normal collections since the parish won't need it.

      My prediction is that Apuron will demand additional monies from each parish after lent. It won't matter if there's enough left to support parish expenses. He knows parishioners will step up to plate to keep their doors open. And if worse comes to worst, he shuts a parish down and blames Tim and JW readers. Win -Win for him.

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  10. We're seeing more rays of light through these dark times for our church on Guam.

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  11. Fortunately for Guam, the NCW does not feel the need to send a missionary group to convert Catholics to the NCW this year. Their one US choice of Detroit, to send a missionary group, is rather perplexing. The NCW already has a small presence in the Archdiocese of Detroit as well as the Dioceses of Gaylord, Kalamazoo, and Lansing. By US standards there are many practicing Catholics in these areas and they produce a fair amount of vocations. The cynic in me wonders if it has anything to do with the Archdiocese of Detroit has accepted pastoral responsibility for the Roman Catholic Church in the Cayman Islands. The NCW is also sending a missionary group to Jamaica and the Archdiocese of Kingston maintains a mission sui iuris jurisdiction over the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands are known as an offshore banking secrecy haven.

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  12. Tim's analysis makes sense. In the grand scheme, our problems with Apuron and the NCW are small potatoes. It's nothing new, whether politically, socio-economically, culturally, or religiously our small population is insignificant on the world stage. Still, I had hoped for more from Pope Francis.

    Nonetheless, we again are left alone to fight our own fight, to make right a wrong brought to our shores by foreigners who expect us to submit. Not now, not ever again! I think it's time to roll up and put away the welcome mat. Let's start by making sure the message is loud and clear to ALL those RMS imports...you are NOT welcome here. Second, let us renew our commitment to an absolute zero funding of any operation of the archdiocese that serves to benefit the NCW. That means if Apuron has access to your charitable organization's accounts, you might as well just write him a check now. And lastly, be prepared. Without Rome's intervention, this Church is going to suffer before it is restored. The NCW is well entrenched with Apuron as its puppet. They'll run it into the ground and milk every last ounce of profit before they let it go. I wouldn't be surprised if Apuron has already done the legwork to obtain more loans. He's likely to leverage the archdiocese's assets to the hilt before he retires.

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  13. I realize the Pope’s speech was rather generic and very similar to those given to other lay groups. I also realize the Pope is only one person, spread very thin, with many pressing issues more important than the NCW. But, it is still heart wrenching to realize how the many people who have experienced trauma due to NCW (especially ex-walkers or family members of walkers) and have felt let down once again by the Pope’s words or lack of words. It is very reminiscent of the youth that had been hurt by pedophile priests and waited for so long for the Pope to acknowledge and soothe their pain.

    The concept of the NCW is not all bad and can offer much to many people, but there needs to be changes. The items the Pope mentions are good, such awakening faith, the missionary spirit, and the many vocations. But, the separation, secretiveness, disrespect for the liturgy, blind obedience, cult like behaviors, etc. need to go. It might also be nice to see more works of charity out of the NCW, instead of just building up their infrastructure.

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