Time of choosing for Pope Leo on liturgical matters as he meets the founder of the Neo-Catechumenal Way
On an ecclesial day charged with symbolism, Pope Leo XIV received Kiko Argüello, founder of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, in a private audience this morning. The event sparked particular interest, not only because of the visitor's profile, but also because of the doctrinal and liturgical implications underlying this encounter.
A liturgy outside the Roman Missal
The Neo-Catechumenal Way has been the subject of debate for decades due to its peculiar interpretation of the liturgy. Among its most controversial practices is the way in which it distributes and consumes Holy Communion: at its Masses, the faithful receive the consecrated host in their hand but do not consume it immediately, instead waiting for several minutes until everyone has received it before doing so simultaneously. This gesture, seriously irregular in the Church's liturgical norms, breaks with the praxis established by the Institutio Generalis of the Roman Missal, which clearly indicates that Communion must be consumed immediately, in the presence of the priest.
Furthermore, Communion under both kinds is common in these celebrations, with the use of large chalices in which large quantities of wine are consecrated. These celebrations constantly record spills of the consecrated contents, calling into question the due care for the real presence of Christ. The lack of zeal in these practices erodes the sense of reverence that characterizes the Roman liturgy and endangers the faith of the simple, by giving a symbolic, almost horizontal image of what the Church has upheld as an ontological and substantial reality: transubstantiation.
Another irregular practice of the Way is what is known as "scrutinies," in which members of a community gather in a circle and publicly confess their sins, sealing a pact of silence. This horizontal view of sin—understood primarily as a social offense and not as a rupture in the relationship with God—seriously distorts the sacramental meaning of penance, as established by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (cf. nos. 1422-1484). Furthermore, the closed atmosphere of these communities, cemented by the mutual exposure of their miseries, can take on clearly sectarian overtones, turning community life into an emotional prison.
The Interrupted Legacy of Benedict XVI
It is worth remembering that during Benedict XVI's pontificate, clear guidelines restricting these practices were being prepared. His resignation left unfinished several canonical processes aimed at a liturgical reform of the Way. Since then, a kind of tacit "truce" has been established, in which these practices have been tolerated rather than corrected.
Argüello's visit to the new Pope does not appear to be a gesture of innocent courtesy. This is most likely a first attempt to ensure the maintenance of these singularities in a new Papal cycle. The founder's concern is understandable: many sectors of the Church view these deviations with growing anxiety, which not only affect ecclesial communion but also give rise to a parallel ecclesiology.
An ecclesiology that rewrites history
The Neo-Catechumenal Way has also been criticized for its theological and historical vision, which considers its particular version of the pre-Constantinian Church as a model lacking historiographical rigor, disregarding centuries of doctrinal and liturgical development. This disruptive reading of the Second Vatican Council, in the spirit of a new beginning rather than renewal, fosters a tacit contempt for the post-apostolic tradition, creating an incomplete and selective vision of the ecclesial mystery.
What will Leo XIV do? The question floating in the ecclesial atmosphere after this audience is clear: will Leo XIV be the pontiff who finally brings order to the liturgical practices of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, or will he continue the permissiveness inherited from the previous pontificate? Fidelity to the Church's lex orandi is neither a minor nor optional matter: the integrity of the common faith is at stake. The Church cannot allow liturgical à la carte offerings, especially when they blur the centrality of Christ present in the Eucharist and alter the theology of the sacraments.
Today, more than ever, it is urgent to remember that the unity of the Church is not built on particular exceptions, but on common fidelity to what has been received, safeguarded, and celebrated for two thousand years.
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