Pope praises, admonishes Neocatechumenal Way
January 20, 2026
» Continue to this story on Dicastery for Communication (Italian)
CWN Editor's Note: Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way and described the movement’s “charism and works of evangelization and catechesis” as “a precious contribution to the life of the Church.”
“You have kindled the fire of the Gospel where it seemed to be extinguished, and you have accompanied many Christian individuals and communities, awakening them to the joy of faith, helping them to rediscover the beauty of knowing Jesus and fostering their spiritual growth and their commitment to witness,” the Pope said during yesterday’s audience.
At the same time, the Pope warned the leaders that “no ministry must become a reason to feel better than one’s brothers and sisters and to exclude those who think differently ... The good you do is great, but its purpose is to allow people to know Christ, always respecting the path of life and the conscience of each one.”
“The proclamation of the Gospel, catechesis and the various forms of pastoral action must always be free from forms of constraint, rigidity and moralism,” and should avoid evoking “feelings of guilt and fear instead of interior liberation,” the Pope added.
Kiko Argüello, who was present at the audience, founded the Neocatechumenal Way in 1964. The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life describes it as “an itinerary of Catholic instruction at the service of the bishop as one of the diocesan ways of implementing Christian initiation and ongoing education in the faith.”
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