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Ordained priest on 29 April 1939 , Enrico Zoffoli got a doctorate in philosophy and became a professor at the Accademia di San Tommaso dAquino, then at the Pontifical Lateran University ( Rome). The thought of Zoffoli is strongly influenced by Thomas Aquinas and St. Therese of Lisieux . In 1992 he published the Dictionary of Christianity which was greeted with enthusiasm by the Osservatore Romano of 16 April 1993 . . In the last years of his life he took a keen interest in the theme of the Eucharistic mystery .
Philosophy
* Itinerario alla filosofia (Itinraire vers la philosophie), d. Itinerario alla filosofia (Route to philosophy), Ed. Fiorentina, Florence, ( 1948 ) Fiorentina, Florence, ( 1948 ) * Il male (Le Mal), Lecce, ( 1951 ) This male (Evil), Lecce ( 1951 ) * Problema e mistero male (Le problme et le mystre du Mal), Marietti, Turin, ( 1960 ) Problema e mistero male (The problem and the mystery of evil), Marietti, Turin, ( 1960 ) * Ed io che sono? (Et moi, qui suis-je ?), Il Crivello, Padoue, ( 1972 ) Ed io che sono? (And I, who am I?) It Crivello, Padua ( 1972 ) * Aborto giudicato dalla ragione , ed. Aborto giudicato dalla ragione, ed. Grafischena, Fasano, ( 1975 ) Grafischena, Fasano ( 1975 ) * La verit (La Vrit), d. Truth (Truth), Ed. Grafischena, Fasano, ( 1975 ) Grafischena, Fasano ( 1975 ) * Origine del mondo (Origine du monde), d. Original del mondo (Origin of the World), Ed. Grafischena, Fasano, ( 1978 ) Grafischena, Fasano ( 1978 ) * Tomismo e cattolicesimo (Thomisme et catholicisme), Ist. Tomismo e cattolicesimo (Thomism and Catholic), Ist. Padano di AG, Rovigo, ( 1978 ) (estratto da Palestra del Clero, nn. 20-21, 1978) Padano di AG, Rovigo, ( 1978 ) (estratto da Palestra del Clero, nn. 20-21, 1978) * Dalla prima nebulosa alluomo (De la premire brume lHomme), d. Dalla prima alluomo nebulosa (From the first mist Man), Ed. Grafischena, Fasano, ( 1979 ) Grafischena, Fasano ( 1979 ) * Esistenza dello spirito e dignit della persona (Existence de lesprit et dignit de la personne), d. Esistenza dello spirito e della persona dignity (Existence of mind and dignity), Ed. Grafischena, Fasano, ( 1979 ) Grafischena, Fasano ( 1979 ) * La persona non muore , d. The persona non muore, Ed. Grafischena, Fasano, ( 1979 ) Grafischena, Fasano ( 1979 ) * Valore dellesistenza, d. Valore dellesistenza, Ed. Rogate, Rome, ( 1980 ) Rogate, Rome ( 1980 ) * Pena di morte e Chiesa cattolica , d. Pena di Chiesa cattolica e dead, Ed. Settimo Sigillo, Rome, ( 1981 ) Settimo Sigillo, Rome ( 1981 ) * Origine delle idee e astrazione dellintelletto agente in san Tommaso (estratto dagli Atti dellVIII Congresso Tomistico Internazionale, vol. VII, ( 1982 ) Origine delle idee e astrazione dellintelletto officer in
San Tommaso (estratto Dagli Atti Congresso dellVIII Tomistico Internazionale, vol. VII ( 1982 ) * Principi di filosofia (Principes de philosophie), d. Principi di filosofia (Principles of Philosophy), Ed. Fonti Vive, Rome, ( 1988 ) Vive Fonti, Rome ( 1988 ) * La dignit del corpo umano nella dottrina di san Tommaso (estratto dagli Atti del IX Congresso Tomistico Internazionale, vol. III, ( 1991 ) Del corpo umano dignity di san Tommaso nella dottrina (estratto Dagli Atti del IX Congresso Internazionale Tomistico, vol. III ( 1991 ) * Il fondamentale tomismo di Galileo (estratto da Doctor Communis, XLIV - 1991, pp. 130-147) ( 1991 ) This fundamental tomismo di Galileo (estratto da Doctor Communis, XLIV - 1991, pp. 130-147) ( 1991 )
Apology
* Perch credo, ed. Perch credo, ed. Il Crivello, Cittadella di Padova, 1970 It Crivello, Cittadella di Padova, 1970 * Itinerario alla fede, ed. Itinerario alla fede, ed. Grafschena, Fasano (Br), 1978 Grafschena, Fasano (Br), 1978 * Galileo, Fede nella ragione e ragioni della fede, ed. Galileo, Fede nella ragione della fede e ragione, ed. Studio Domenicano, Bologna, 1990 Domenicano Studio, Bologna, 1990 * Comunione sulla mano? Communion sulla mano? - Il vero pensiero della Chiesa secondo la vera storia del nuovo rito, quinta edizione riveduta ed ampliata, Roma, 1990 - It vero pensiero della Chiesa secondo la vera storia del nuovo rito, quinta edizione ed riveduta exemplification, Roma, 1990 * La confessione ancora necessaria?, Roma, 1990 The confessiones ancora necessaries?, Roma, 1990 * La vera Chiesa di Cristo!, Roma, 1990 La vera Chiesa di Cristo!, Roma, 1990 * La messa tutto. Mass tutto. Catechismo, Roma, 1991 Catechismo, Roma, 1991 * Congiura contro leucaristia e il sacerdozio, Roma, 1991 Congiura eucaristia the controversial e il sacerdozio, Roma, 1991 * La Messa unico tesoro e la sua concelebrazione, Roma, 1991 La Messa e la sua unico tesoro concelebrazione, Roma, 1991 * Dio perdona, se... Dio perdona, se ... Dialogo sul Sacramento della penitenza, Roma, 1991 Sul Dialogo della Penitenza Sacramento, Roma, 1991 * Eucaristia ed Ecumenismo. Eucaristia Ecumenismo ed. Dialogo, ed. Dialogo, ed. Comitato Medjugorje, Milano, 1992. Comitato Medjugorje, Milano, 1992. * Eucaristia. Eucaristia. Difesa contro la miscredenza e il tradimento, terza edizione, Roma, 1995 Difesa e il contro the miscredenza tradimento, terza edizione, Roma, 1995
1977 o Dio, Esistenza. Prima parte: The Essere, Roma, 1977 o Dio, Esistenza. Metafisica: causa dellEnte o dallEsistente allEssere, Roma, 1980 Metafisica: causa o dellEnte dallEsistente allEssere, Roma, 1980 * Mistero della sofferenza di Dio? Mistero della Sofferenza di Dio? - Il pensiero di S. - It pensiero di S. Tommaso (Pontificia Accademia di San Tommaso), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, n. Tommaso (Pontificia Accademia di San Tommaso), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, n. 34 della collana Studi Tomistici, Roma, 1988 34 della Collana Studi Tomistici, Roma, 1988 * A colloquio con Dio, ed. A Colloquio con Dio, ed. Rogate, Roma, 1991 Rogate, Roma, 1991 * La Messa tutto. La Messa tutto. Teologia a servizio della fede, ed. Servizio della fede a teologia, ed. Cipi, Roma Cipi, Roma * Carismi e carismatici nella Chiesa, ed. Carisma e nella Chiesa carismatici, ed. Dehoniane, Roma, 1991 Dehoniane, Roma, 1991 * Incontro al Mistero. Incontro al Mistero. Elevazioni, ed. Elevazioni, ed. Segno, Udine, 1992 Segno, Udine, 1992 * Catechismo della fede cattolica, ed. Catechismo della fede cattolica, ed. Segno, Udine, 1993 Segno, Udine, 1993 * Il neocatecumenato della Chiesa cattolica. It della Chiesa cattolica neocatecumenato. Lettera aperta al clero italiano, ed. Lettera aperta al italiano clergy, ed. Segno, Udine, 1993 Segno, Udine, 1993 * La confessione ancora necessaria?, ed. The confessiones ancora necessaries?, Ed. Segno, Udine, 1993, ventiquattresima edizione Segno, Udine, 1993, edizione ventiquattresima * Cristianesimo. Cristianesimo. Corso di teologia cattolica, ed. Corso di teologia cattolica, ed. Segno, Udine, 1994 Segno, Udine, 1994 * Eucaristia o nulla, ed. Eucaristia o nulla, ed. Segno, Udine, 1994 Segno, Udine, 1994 * Il male. He male. Itinerario della speranza, ed. Itinerario della speranza, ed. Segno, Udine, 1994 Segno, Udine, 1994 * Questa la Messa. Questa mass. Non altro, ed. Non altro, ed. Segno, Udine, 1994 Segno, Udine, 1994 * Chiesa e uomini di Chiesa. Chiesa e uomini di Chiesa. Apologia a rovescio, ed. A rovescio Apologia, ed. Segno, Udine, 1994 Segno, Udine, 1994 * Dio. Dio. Dov questo Dio? Dov questo Dio? (Pontificia Accademia di S. Tommaso), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Roma, 1994 (Pontificia Accademia di S. Tommaso), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Roma, 1994 * Ecumenismo e umanesimo di Giovanni Paolo Il, Pont. Ecumenismo di Giovanni e Paolo it umanesimo Bridge. Accademia di S. Accademia di S. Tommaso, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Roma, 1995 Tommaso, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Roma, 1995 * Catechesi neocatecumenale e ortodossia del Papa, ed. Catechesi neocatecumenale ortodossia e del Papa, ed. Segno, Udine, 1995 Segno, Udine, 1995 * Vita futura e verit sul purgatorio, ed. Vita futura e verit sul Purgatorio, ed. Segno, Udine, 1995 Segno, Udine, 1995 * Ebraismo a confronto col Cristianesimo, ed. Ebraismo a confronto col Cristianesimo, ed. Segno, Udine, 1995 Segno, Udine, 1995 * San Tommaso, Quaderni del Segno n. San Tommaso, Quaderni del Segno n. 1, ed. 1, ed. Segno, Udine, 1996 Segno, Udine, 1996 * Non tutto materia, Quaderni del Segno n. Non tutto materia, Quaderni del Segno n. 2, ed. 2, ed. Segno, Udine, 1996 Segno, Udine, 1996 * Alla scoperta del Padre, Quaderni del Segno n. Alla scoperta del Padre, del Segno Quaderni n. 3, ed. 3, ed. Segno, Udine, 1996 Segno, Udine, 1996 * Morte di Cristo. Morte di Cristo. Revisione di un processo, Quaderni del Segno n. Processo di revisione one, Quaderni del Segno n. 4, ed. 4, ed. Segno, Udine, 1996 Segno, Udine, 1996 * Potere e obbedienza nella Chiesa, Maurizio Minchella editore, Milano, 1996 Chiesa e potere nella obbedienza, Maurizio Minchella editore, Milano, 1996
Neocatechumenal Way
* I neocatecumenali - chi sono - quale il loro credo - cosa pensarne, ed. I neocatecumenali - Chi sono -
it quale loro creed - cosa Pensarn, ed. Segno, Udine, 1990 Segno, Udine, 1990 * Eresie del movimento neocatecumenale, quinta edizione migliorata e arricchita di nuove sconcertanti testimonianze, ed. Eres del movimento neocatecumenale, quinta edizione di nuove Migliorati e arricchita sconcertanti testimonianze, ed. Segno, Udine, 1992 Segno, Udine, 1992 * Magistero del Papa e catechesi di Kiko. Magistero del Papa e Catechesi di Kiko. Confronto a proposito del Cammino neocatecumenale, ed. A proposito del confronto Cammino neocatecumenale, ed. Segno, Udine, 1992 Segno, Udine, 1992 * Il Neocatecumenato della Chiesa Cattolica. It della Chiesa Cattolica Neocatecumenato. Lettera aperta al clero italiano, ed. Lettera aperta al italiano clergy, ed. Segno, Udine, 1993 Segno, Udine, 1993 * Catechesi neocatecumenale e ortodossia del Papa, ed. Catechesi neocatecumenale ortodossia e del Papa, ed. Segno, Udine, 1995 Segno, Udine, 1995 * Verit sul Cammino Neocatecumenale. Verit sul Cammino Neocatecumenale. Testimonianze e documenti, ed. Testimonianze e documenti, ed. Segno, Udine, 1996 Segno, Udine, 1996
Hagiography
* La povera Gemma. Gemma La povera. Saggi critici storico-teologici, ed. Critica storico-teologici Saggi, ed. Il Crocifisso, Roma It Crocifisso, Roma * S. S. Paolo della Croce. Paolo della Croce. Storia critica, A cura della Congregazione dei pp. Storia critica, A cura della dei Congregazione pp. Passionisti, Roma, 1963-1968: Passionist, Roma, 1963-1968: o vol. o Vol. I, Bibliografia o vol. I, o Bibliografia flight. II, Luomo e il Santo o vol. II, Luomo e il Santo o vol. III, Maestro di Spirito, missionario e fondatore III, Maestro di Spirito e Missionario fondatore * S. S. Paolo della Croce. Paolo della Croce. Diario spirituale. Diario spirituale. Testo critico, introduzione, note e indici. Testo critico, introduzione, note e index. A cura dei pp. A cura dei pp. Passionisti. Passionist. Roma, 1964 Roma, 1964 * S. S. Paolo della Croce. Paolo della Croce. Profilo, Vicenza, 1967 Profilo, Vicenza, 1967 * S. S. Paolo della Croce e le Suore Passioniste di Signa, Roma, 1967 Paolo della Croce e Suore the Passionist di Signa, Roma, 1967 * S. S. Paolo della Croce (compendio), Manduria (Taranto), 1975 Paolo della Croce (compendio) Manduria (Taranto) 1975 * Tempo ed eternit. Tempo ed eternity. Nella vita intima di S. Nella vita di S. intima Teresa di Lisieux, ed. Teresa di Lisieux, ed. OCD, Roma OCD, Roma
History
* I Passionisti. I Passionist. Spiritualit e apostolato, ed. E apostolato Spirituality, ed. Il Crocifisso, Roma, 1955 It Crocifisso, Roma, 1955 * Le monache passioniste, ed. The Passionist Monache, ed. Il Crivello, Cittadella di Padova, 1970 It Crivello, Cittadella di Padova, 1970
Other publications
* Casa di preghiera, non spelonca di ladri, Roma, 1980 Casa di preghiera not Spelonca ladri di, Roma, 1980 * Lettera aperta di un gruppo di laici al clero italiano, Roma, 1986 Lettera aperta di gruppo di a clergy laici al italiano, Roma, 1986 * Dizionario del Cristianesimo, ed. Dizionario del Cristianesimo, ed. Segno, Udine, 1992 Segno, Udine, 1 * Alla scoperta di Ges, Maurizio Minchella Editore, Milano, 1996 Alla scoperta di Ges, Maurizio Minchella Editore, Milano, 1996 Six of his works were on The Neocatechumenal Way - NW
- sin cannot offend God, and man does not incur the duty to expiate it by satisfying the requirements of His justice. 2. REDEMPTION: Jesus has not brought this about by liberating man from his faults and reconciling him with God; - the passion and death of Christ has not been a true sacrifice offered to the Father in order to remedy sin and to redeem man; - Jesus saved the world by virtue of His Resurrection: in order to enjoy the fruits of His work it is enough to confess to be sinners and to believe in the power of the risen Christ. 3. THE CHURCH was not founded by Christ as his only Sheepfold: it is also possible to save oneself by following other religions; - the Church is not a juridical and hierarchical society, but a spiritual, charismatic one; - in it there is not found a priesthood derived from the sacrament of the Order - as it is sufficient to have the Baptism which, incorporating all the believers in Christ, makes them participants of His priestly dignity. 4. THE MASS is not a sacrifice: the Church, at the altar, does not offer to God any Victim; - in place of the altar, there is nothing but the table, which in the Eucharist allows a festive party to be celebrated among brothers united by the same faith in the Resurrection; - the consecrated bread and wine are only the symbol of the presence of the risen Christ which unites the fellow-guests by communicating their own spirit, thus making them participants in his triumph over death; - the Mass, thus conceived, is not celebrated by the priest, but by the Assembly, from which springs the Eucharist. 5. EUCHARISTIC WORSHIP does not have any meaning, it negates the true, real and substantial presence of Christ under the sacramental species. Acts of faith such as genuflections before the Tabernacle, frequent Communions, hours of adoration, benedictions, processions, congresses, etc. are not therefore justified. 6. CONFESSION is reduced to the sacrament of Baptism: their distinction does not go back to the primitive Church: - the Church gestates and leads to the conversion. The important thing is not the absolution of the priest, because the value of the confession is essentially its community and ecclesial nature; - in the passages and in the, scrutinies the acknowledgement of ones transgressions, including the serious ones, is public, as can still be the case during the redditio. 7. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, as a voluntary effort of self-discipline, and therefore an exercise and progress in virtue, is an illusion; - everyone remains intrinsically a sinner, incapable of obtaining true justice as a perfection of the love of God and of ones fellow creatures; - on the other hand, Jesus has not been presented to anyone as a model to be imitated; - He has commanded that we should actually hate our parents, brothers, relatives etc, not just, if necessary, to be prepared to prefer Him to them; - in order to follow Christ, we need to sell our own goods; but, once this renunciation has been accomplished, it is permissible to acquire others and to enjoy all the pleasures of life. Poverty as understood by St. Francis, is inspired by the natural religion, and was also practised by the pagans: it is not a Christian virtue; - Jesus, having suffered for us, has made our sufferings superfluous, therefore the austerities of the ascetics, the slow martyrdom of the Saints and the religious life itself, involving the effective practice of the evangelical counsels, are not justifiable; - eternal salvation is offered freely to all by the mercy of God, who forgives everything. Hell should not exist, nor should one speak of Purgatory, of prayers and of indulgences for the dead. 8. THE HISTORY of the true Church founded by Christ comes to an end with the Pax Constantinia and does not resume its course until the 20th century with the Second Vatican Council, having remained frozen for about 1,600 years ... ; - in this long interval, the exercise of the triple power of the hierarchical Church (teaching, sanctification, guidance) would have been improper, illegitimate ... ; and in particular the Council of Trent would be responsible for the paralysis of the Church, determined to fix formulae of faith, liturgical rites, disciplinary, rules ... ; - the interpretation of the Word of God is not reserved for the Hierarchy, it is possible for all believers: the Bible is explained by itself. This freedom of examination in the exegesis excludes the ecclesiastical Teaching, the tradition of the Elders and the doctrine of the theologies.
III. COMMENTS
* The Holy See has never approved canonically the Neocatechumenal Movement, even though John Paul II deigned to write Mons. J. P. Cordes a private letter of praise and encouragement, based on the documentation of some positive results of the Way presented by the recipient. The intention of the Holy Father - we read in a note published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis - in
however, to act according to the pastoral requirements of the individual dioceses. We have every reason to believe that the Pope has not been informed of the errors contained in the catechesis of Kiko ; or else, by intervening he is afraid of spiritually damaging the good faith of many believers. * The points of coincidence between the doctrine of Kiko and Protestant theology are numerous and weighty, in antithesis to the teaching of the Council of Trent and the former unanimous Catholic Tradition. * The doctrine underlying the Way, the singularities of the liturgical practice, the law of secrecy and the harsh discipline imposed on the faithful have motivated the accusation that the Neocatechumenals consider that their own Church is parallel and even superior to the Catholic Church, thus causing low spirits, contention and open conflicts, which are well known especially to bishops and parish priests. * The marked proselytism and intimidatory behaviour used by the Catechists in order that the faithful should not abandon the Way have led to the erroneous supposition that this opens the only possible way to salvation. * The spectacular ceremonies, the enthusiasm raised through the press, radio and television, and the favourable attitude of the members of the clergy etc. are producing the false belief that in the Catholic Church there do not exist other highly praiseworthy institutions, initiatives, forms and methods of life and of apostolate in the defence of the Faith and in the propagation of the evangelical message. * The priesthood of the presbyters having been levelled to that of the faithful simply baptised, the Catechists - in practice - are attributing to themselves an authority equal and superior to that of the members of the Hierarchy, thus breaking up the structure of the Catholic Church. * The practice of the public confession of grave sins, apart from being contrary to the natural instinct of decency and to the right to save ones own reputation, provokes ill-feeling and arguments, breaking up families and throwing parish communities into confusion. * The authority which the Catechists arrogate to themselves in writing commentaries on the Bible and guiding consciences, thus creating a true climate of terror, destroys the already fragile personality of some believers and provokes reactions which sometimes drive them to repudiating their faith. * The obligation to sell ones own goods and to pay the tithe causes the accumulation of huge amounts of money, the administration of which is entrusted uncontrollably to the Catechists, in a way which does not happen in any prudently organised association. * To maintain that man cannot do good and that it is not possible for him to avoid evil means to negate human freedom and the redeeming power of Grace, making a true conversion impossible and justifying all moral licence. * If, in the conversion of the sinner, grace does not regenerate the soul, so as to transform it radically by making it a participant in the nature and life of God, it is not understood in what sense Most Holy Mary is proclaimed by the Universal Church as being full of grace. What worship could be worthwhile if She, above all, had not been elevated to a most high level of friendship (= affinity) with God, so as to be able to become the MOTHER of him, begetting Christ? ... For the same reason, it is not explained how the saints too can be venerated and invoked, if they have not been deeply pervaded by grace, and at the moment to be celebrated, precisely for this transforming union with God. * To refute the Eucharistic Sacrifice means to deny the Church the duty of the supreme act of worship and thus to suppress it as an eminently religious Society. * To reject transubstantiation is to remove from the faithful the living Bread descended from heaven; to deny them the comfort and the joy of the absolutely ideal Friend, the most necessary viaticum for eternity; to conceal from the Church the only Sun which warms it, creating the essential climate for its life. * The Mass, downgraded to a simple feast, exposes the Most Holy One to the inevitable profanations resulting from the indifference to the fragments of the consecrated bread and of its remains. (Once again, very recently, in the basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Pope, on the evening of 21 October 1992, during the rite of ordination of a number of deacons, the Neocatechumenals demonstrated that they pay no heed to the fragments of the consecrated bread left scattered on the table, making one logically suppose that they do not believe in the real presence of Christ derived from the transubstantiation. One person, inspired by faith, dared to gather them up in order to prevent their profanation, but was sternly rebuked and derided by the leaders of the Movement On the morning of the following day, the same person, having returned to the basilica, was able to pick up from the ground an entire portion of the consecrated bread which the participants in the Eucharist are in the habit of consuming for the Communion. One of the caretakers, when sweeping the pavement would certainly have picked it up and thrown it in among the other rubbish.)
Unfortunately, Communion in the hand - the allowing of which has been extorted from the Holy See, because it was contrary to the wish of Paul VI, who had foreseen it and deplored the inevitable consequences, which are negative from any point of view must also bear responsibility for the abusive liturgical practice of the Neocatechumenals. * If, besides the Church, other religions open to souls ordinary and objectively valid ways by which to be saved, the Catholic Missions would not be wholly necessary nor would they merit the heroic close cooperation of the faithful. * The activity of the itinerant Neocatechumenals, insofar as it may seem laudable, is not even comparable to the works of the Catholic missions which for centuries, having renounced everything, have dedicated themselves to the evangelisation of the world; whereas the disciples of Kiko betake themselves abroad, not only well provided by their home communities, but also sustained by the love and the moral comfort of their respective families, against the example of the Apostles, who abandoned their relatives, possessions, comforts etc, following the Teacher as far as martyrdom. * The building of Seminaries, where candidates are prepared for the priesthood, educated in accordance with the doctrinal errors of Kiko, could be one of the worst threats for the Church of tomorrow.
CONCLUSION
Are the Neocatechumenals heretics? Only they are heretics who have some knowledge of being heretics and persist in sustaining the errors listed above. But since identifying them individually escapes our scrutiny, all we can do is to disapprove the heresy in itself which results from the catecheses of Kiko. In fact, this constitutes one of the most fearful dangers to the faith, given the organisational and economic power of the Movement. The Church has the difficult and arduous task of distinguishing the wheat from the chaff - not only by praising the fervour of some, but also by freeing the essence of the Way from the whole cumbersome package of political and theological, historical and liturgical prejudices implicit in the Way as proposed by Kiko and his collaborators. A surgical operation is necessary and urgent in order for the Church to preserve its credibility and to prevent multiplication of the apostatizing of all those who - also traumatised by the conduct of certain senior people in the Movement - wait impatiently for an authoritative intervention from the Holy See. This is particularly necessary in order to defend the dignity of the Pope, to whom the Neocatechumenals - in good or bad faith attribute their own ideas, thus worsening the position of the Church in the eyes of the world. For further information, you are advised to consult: E. ZOFFOLI, Heresies of the Neocatechumenals, IVth private edition, 1991, and The Teaching of the Pope and the Catechisms of Kiko: A Comparison, Segno edition, 1992. The author is prepared to engage in any exchange of ideas and to make available the sources of his investigation which he has decided to pursue until the truth triumphs. To this end, he is soon to deal again with what he has written, by proposing to the representatives of the Way that they counter the accusations of heresy with a clear and explicit profession of faith according to the doctrine of the Church, and thus everything will end in the joy and peace of Christ. * * * * * * * * * * * One of the problems with this organisation is that their ceremonies are not shown to non-members. When required they can be quite orthodox. This deceives many people. Many clergy and even members of the Hierarchy are thus deceived. It is often claimed that because there are so many conversions and vocations that they are showing growth in holiness. However, membership of most sects show such results. This includes groups such as The Moonies, Divine Light Mission, and ISKON (Hare Krishna). Rick Ross is probably the worlds foremost authority on sects and cults. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Ross_%28consultant%29 He classifies The Neocatechumenals as a cult - see http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general1285.html
son-in-law with his role as an NC leader who spends much time evangelizing in the parish. An exile from her own parish - It brings back too many unhappy memories - she has despaired of a solution to the divisions NC has caused in her family, and carries an air of permanent sadness. I dont think Rita will ever leave now. Following Ritas wedding, her mother and a group of concerned members of the parish tried to penetrate the secrecy surrounding the organization that had been quietly growing in their midst over the previous ten years. They were amazed by what they found. Far from being a fringe group, NC was headed by the parish priest at that time, Father Michael Hopley, himself a committed member of the movement. Disturbing, too, was the fact that it not only held secret meetings, but also duplicated the most important church services in secret, though celebrated by the parish priest. This suggested a two-tier system within the parish. For ten years, however, these
activities had been hidden so successfully that not even the lay members of the Parish in Council, the co-ordinating body within Ealing Abbey parish, had heard of Neocatechumenate. Why all the secrecy? Enquiries were made to the parish priest, the abbot - the ultimate authority at Ealing Abbey - and to Cardinal Hume himself on the structural aspects of NC, its hierarchy and its status as a Catholic organisation, but drew no satisfactory response.
In fact, every autumn since it had set up in the parish NC had been holding public introductory courses with the purpose of recruiting new members. These were announced both from the pulpit and in print, but NC was never mentioned by name. A parish bulletin for Sunday, 26 October 1986 lists among activities for the week: Who Is God for You? At 8.15 in the parish hall. No movement or speaker is identified. When parish members attended this course of fifteen evenings spread over an eight-week period they found that, far from having their questions answered, their perplexity increased. The open and positive mood which had transformed the Catholic Church in the early sixties as a result of the reforms of Pope John XXIII and his Second Vatican Council had led to a new emphasis on the love of God. Ealing Abbey parishioners were surprised, therefore, to find in NC teaching, or catechesis, an emphasis on sin redolent of the pre-Council era, couched in strikingly harsh terms. But, when it came to gleaning information on the inner workings of the movement, the parishioners drew a blank: in line with standard NC practice, they were told that no questions were allowed at meetings. Attend the fifteen evenings, they were told, and all your queries will be answered. Frustrated in this line of enquiry, they pressurised the parish priest and the abbot into calling an extraordinary meeting of the Parish in Council to discuss the growing division in their midst. A record turnout of over 200 parishioners indicated the widespread unease over the presence of an elitist and secretive body at the heart of their community. They were concerned that the parish priest now spent most of his time on his community, making the rest of the parish feel like second-class citizens. The core opposition group had drawn up a list of twenty-five tough questions, reflecting their growing conviction that, though the movement was apparently operating in the parish with the approval of the competent ecclesiastical authorities, its methods were those of a sect. Among the more serious of the charges were: the reported use of brainwashing techniques on members; alleged group confession sessions; sweeping claims made for the movement, which describes itself as the Way; and the wall of secrecy surrounding its hierarchy, its finances and the lengthy training given to recruits. The meeting allowed these misgivings to be aired in group discussions with NC members, but no satisfactory answers were obtained. Indeed, it is unlikely that NC members themselves. at parish level, had answers; in common with many sects, information is strictly graded according to degree of membership. (pp 1-5)