Thursday, October 6, 2016

MORE ABOUT NEOCATECHUMENAL MONEY

  1. Posted by LaPaz, Jungle Watch Correspondent from Spain. 
  2. Today I am going to answer some very interesting questions about the tenth in the Neocatechumenal Way, on the basis of the intelligent commentaries made by Rose de los Reyes on my last post.
  3. Let me underline some words to explain them later.


  4. Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)October 6, 2016 at 6:14 AM
  5. Lapaz, thank you for this very enlightening piece. And thanks to Mr. Terlaje for pressing Diana-the-Dingbat for the NCW’s source of income, to which Diana either tries to confuse him or is confused herself so her responses were, in the end, no responses. 

    I have been wondering about the financial structure of the NCW, and more specifically, the NCW on Guam. The NCW isn’t registered on Guam as a non-profit organization presumably because they consider themselves under the umbrella of the Catholic Church and they take advantage of the 501(c)(3) tax exempt status of the Church. Your description above of how they generate their income [(1) through free-will non-formulated cash donations that go into money bags when a community is in its pre-Second Scrutiny phase and (2) 10% of their monthly personal income given in the form of cash donations, and (3) bequests, etc.] and their lack of record keeping is not in conformance with the requirements of the 501(c)(3).

    My understanding is your great explanation is that when a community has reached the “Second Scrutiny” its members donate 10% of their income. The individual who handles the 10% financial donation (made in cash) is the “Responsible” of that community. The 10% financial cash donation is, theoretically, supposed to be divided by the Responsible in three equal parts and allocated to (1) the parish; (2) the community; and (3) a Neo Center, the diocese, the poor, or in support of an RMS. The donors receive no accounting of their (cash) donations. The Responsible has no obligation to provide information to the community members of about the donations, including the amount received and how the donations are spent (or saved up somewhere in someone’s bank account). While community members (who are the donors) are not privileged to that financial record keeping information, the Catechist (a higher-up of the Responsible) has access to this information. Interesting".
  6. Here are my answers:
  7. 1. Correct. The NCW is not registered in Guam as a non-profit organization, because the NCW is not registered anywhere as a non-profit organization. You can not find the NCW registered like that in any country, city, village...Never. 

  8. 2. Money cash in bags are not only for pre-catechumenate phase. Even when you pass the Second Scrutiny and start paying the tenth, there are always bags for several expenses which are out of the incomes of the 10%. 
  9. For example, each first convivence of the year Kiko asks for money from every community around the world to support new evangelization (RM Seminaries, travels and hotels or similar for him and all the itinerant teams, etc.). So, each community knows that each first convivence of the year there are a special bag which goes full to Kiko and NCW's evangelization works. 
  10. These bags with cash are in addition of all the expenses each community and each member has because of being in the Way. They do accept even some "vales", piece of paper where a person says "I will give XXX euros or dollars next week to my responsible" if he/she has not enough money then or if he/she has to wait to have more extra money due to an sporadic reason after that convivence.

  11. 3. The donnors do not receive any accounting of their donations. Never when you give your money in those bags. 
  12. The only exception I have known along all my time in the NCW was when you make a donation for a certain RM Seminary, they use to provide a bank account and they expend a certificate of it if you want it. I was helping RM Seminary in Madrid for many years with some periodic donation (monthly) and I could have a certificate each year if I needed. That money was through a bank and of course was "normal" money.
  13. About the rest of money, nobody knows, anybody asks.
  14. 4. Correct. The responsible does not give explanations of the use of the tenth. You only have to give it monthly and if you need some help from the tenth, you have to ask for that in public, for example during the monthly one day convivence: "I need your help this month because.......I need XXX euros or dollars". Of course, it does not mean you will have this help, first the responsible has to "discern" about your need, second, maybe some other brothers and sisters also ask for help and there are priorities.
  15. 5. It is very, very unusual in the Way to have the money from tenth or in general from any bags of the community saved up in a bank. I even would say that would be against the Way teachings. Kiko teaches any christian (good and truly one, of course) has his/her money in a bank, because that is an idolatry of money (your security in your savings). That is a very stupid thing, but belive me, people eat that without asking.
  16. 6. Correct, the catechist is the only who can ask and know what a responsible does with all money from bags and the tenth. The catechist knows perfecty who asks for help from the tenth of every community of his neocatechumens. Each responsible has the duty of giving all information of each member to the catechist, money-questions included.

  17. "Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)October 6, 2016 at 6:14 AM
  18. First, if the NCW assumes its financial operation is under the umbrella of the 501(c)(3) status of the local Catholic Church yet it claims not to maintain financial records, bank accounts, or be accountable to its donors, the NCW is failing on the reporting requirements of the 501(c)(3). Secondly, where does the NCW keep the 1/3 allocation of its cash donations to its communities? Under the mattresses in the RMS? In a private account in the Responsible’s and/or Catechist’s name, a sub-account within the local Catholic Church? Third, if the 1/3 allocation is made to the parish, how does the parish record those donations? Fourth, if the 1/3 allocation is made to the diocese, how does the diocese record that donation? Does the diocese give a receipt to the NCW? If you’re a 501(c)(3), you’re supposed to track your parishioners’ donations and then mail on or before January 30th a statement to each parishioner of his/her donations so that, if they are eligible, they can claim a tax break for their donations to their parish. If the Responsible doesn’t keep track of his/her communities’ cash donations, how will he/she (and/or the parish) provide a donation statement to the members? Here, the Responsible is also breaking the law of the 501(c)(3) requirements.

    The NCW’s practices are not compatible with the laws of Guam. Their practice of the scrutinies may have yielded disclosures of child molestations and other crimes, yet those disclosures go unreported. Their form of collecting tax-free cash donations and not providing a donation statement to the donors per 501(c)(3) and not maintaining financial records are practices that break the law. The NCW purports itself to be part of the Catholic Church of Guam. With these practices, they are a liability for the local Church. The local Church is, unfortunately, sooner or later going to be on the hook for the way the NCW manages its religious and financial affairs. It’s really time for them to go!"

  19. My answers:
  20. 1.  "the NCW is failing on the reporting requirements" OF COURSE, in Guam and everywhere.
  21. 2.  Nobody knows where the Way has the money. Which personality has the Way? It is not under any legal known figure. If you do not exist, how do you keep your money? Supposedly you do not have money and do not have assets. You do not exist.
  22. 3. How does the parish record those donations? Which donations? Is the tenth a donation? No. Where does it say that the parish priest receive that money? How do you know he receives it? That money does not exist! Ironicly, you know about the tenth because I, former member, have told it. 
  23. All former members around the world will say the same I have told you, but remember we are former members. We are bounced. For the real world, the tenth does not exist, any parish receives it, Kiko and all neocatechumenal foundations under infinite different names do not receive it!
  24. And neocatechumenals do not think on donations when they pay the tenth. The tenth is a divine duty. The owner of the tenth of all you have is God. Then, they do not need to have any receipt. God does not need to give explanations of His goods.
  25. 4. "The NCW’s practices are not compatible with the laws of Guam". I go further: the NCW's practices are not compatible with any laws of anywhere! 
  26. WHERE IS ALL THAT MONEY?
  27. THERE MUST BE A GIANT BLACK HOLE SOMEWHERE ON EARTH. 
  28. IT IS EASIER TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE WAY IS SO LOVED BY SOME CARDINALS, BISHOPS AND PARISH PRIESTS (Opps, and by every priest who helps the Way, each of them receive monthly money from neo-bags, the Way is a good employer).
  29. P.S: I have some hypothesis. It would have to go pulling several threads. But impossible to talk here. And this would need very expert people. 
  30. Rose de los Reyes, thank you a lot for helping me with your comments! If you need more specific information, you could write me by mail. 

17 comments:

  1. The only ones that prosper fron the NCW are the leaders. The followers are constantly being told that they lack Faith and that's why they have not prospered with their tithes and offerings. They are constantly being challenged to give more and see how much God loves them. When nothing happens to them, they are then told that it will happen in Gods time. The prosperity gospel is not of God but of mans evil desires. That is the reason why Diana is so clueless about finances. Sad, very sad.

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  2. Here (in Italy) there was a priest who on Sunday at 5pm celebrated the Tridentine Mass and at 8pm celebrated the Neocatechumenal "mass". When asked why, he smiled and gave an flabbergasting answer: "they [the Neo's] always give me quite a tip". Yes, Neo-money was able to corrupt a traditional "Tridentine" priest. And yes, that sin is named "simony".

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    Replies
    1. Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)October 6, 2016 at 11:45 PM

      This is probably one of the reasons why Fr. Adrian and Fr. Rudeeee are refusing to move on to their new assignments. They will be in assignment where there is no NCW communinty, therefore, it will be a loss of income to them in the form of lost "donation to the parish" ("tip" money) which they probably personally pocketed. I know I am speculating, but my intuition tells me that is not far from the truth.

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    2. Very interesting that anecdote, italian reader. Un saludo y grazie!

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    3. Has (Fr.) Rudeeee have a new assignment? I don't remember reading that anywhere.

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  3. *sorry, please correct: on Saturdays, not on Sundays

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  4. pope francis was wise to appoint the tough cardinal pell to oversee the financial reforms in the vatican. but even pell had run into problems. the ncw is a big component of a money system that's ripe for exploitation.

    coincidentally and in contrast to the practices of the ncw and much of the guam church, i just received a statement from my mainland parish about the contributions i've given to the parish so far this year. accountability is important to the parish and so they make it a point to provide this information, which i greatly appreciate. i also know where the money that i give to the parish goes.

    i know this is why i've given so much more money, proportionate to my income, to my mainland parish that i ever did on guam. i sometimes feel bad about that, but frankly, it's hard to give more when you see so little fruit. apart, perhaps, from air conditioning.

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    Replies
    1. I have to wonder if Cardinal Pell is concerned with the money system of the NCW, since he was instrumental in the establishment of the NCW in Australia from what I have read.

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    2. Cardinal George Pell maybe good Bishop, however he is very sympathetic to the NCW. While he was Bishop in Sydney he invited the NCW to open a RMS factory and gave the NCW a parish to run. Also if you look at one of his books (Contemplating Christ with Luke by Cardinal George Pell) you'll find Kiko drawings in it. I am not expecting too much scrutiny of the NCW funds by Rome as many Bishops have have been tricked and deceived by the NCW.

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    3. good points. the ncw has so much influence and power that even the supposed finance reformer might not even help! ughh.

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    4. Yes. Sadly Pell is a major Kiko. But at least he did the right thing when he was accused. He didn't call his accusers LIARS. And he didn't run to Papa...like Apuron. LOL.

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    5. Yes, and Cardinal Pell apparently bumped heads with Cardinal Filoni over the latter's refusal to participate in the financial reform process.

      I've also heard whispers that the Australian bishops are slowly waking up to some of the issues with the NCW.

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  5. Lapaz is correct. Catechists usually doesn't get money from the tenth, mainly it goes to bishop and parish, to help pay Church expenses.
    For current ncw expenses estraordinary money collections are made several times per year all over the world. Think about it: every starting year convivence Kiko asks for extras. There are 1.000.000 ncw members attendibg that conivivence. If each member gives 10$ Kiko can count over a 10.000.000$ yearly income. I am not considering all donations made by rich people: money, land, properties...and income coming from Kiko's activities: Book selling, painting, concerts, furniture selling....

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    Replies
    1. Sandavi;

      If only that concept were used and applied by the neo communities of Guam, and solely for their needs on Guam, and if they were frugal, they can afford to build something nice for themselves, should being neo becomes more than a thing...

      As it stands now, when one looks at the outside the building, it still looks very much like a church, but upon entering its doors you're hit in the face by everything kiko, and the realization kicks in, you just entered the museum of kiko arts...

      Had they had faith in themselves, and faith in the concept of "build it, and they would come", the neo experiment might have succeeded, but noooooo, they just stooped to being bullies, liars and thieves...

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  6. Cardinal Pell is absolutely NCW friendly. He is one of the VIP always supporting Kiko in Domus with rabbis and different meetings and convivences, like Schonborn, O'Malley, and that one from Philipines.

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  7. Rose de los Reyes (Seattle, WA)October 9, 2016 at 5:56 PM

    Lapaz, thank you for answering my questions on the money flow. I apologize for this delayed note. It has been a busy week for me. I learned quite alot about the NCW from this and other articles you have posted in JungleWatch. It takes time to write them, and I appreciate that you take the time to do so.

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