Paul Keenan
Members of the Neocatechumenal Way in Ireland are celebrating the endorsement of their apostolic outreach by Pope Benedict XVI.
At a January 20 meeting with the Way in Rome, Pope Benedict approved the special celebrations that the Neocatechumenate organises for its small communities and praised the lay movement’s ”firm commitment to proclaim the Gospel of the risen Christ”. He went on to hail the Neocatechumenal Way as ”a special gift which the Holy Spirit has given to our times”.
Describing the Vatican’s official recognition for the lay movement’s work as ”fantastic news”, a spokesman for the Neocatechumenal Way in Ireland said: ”It’s a huge thing for us. The work we do has been greatly helped by the Pope’s seal of approval.
”We are ecstatic.”