DECREE OF APPROVAL OF STATUTE OF NEOCATECHUMENAL WAY

VATICAN CITY, JUN 27, 2002 (VIS) - Tomorrow, June 28, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will preside in the Great Hall of the dicastery at the presentation of the decree of approval of the statute of the Neocatechumenal Way to its leaders: Kiko Arguello, Carmen Hernandez and Fr. Mario Pezzi.

In a communique made public yesterday afternoon it is affirmed that in the audience which took place in January of 1997, the Pope said to those who started the Way that the preparation of the statute was "a very important step that opens up the path toward formal, juridical recognition by the Church." In April of 2001, the Pope confirmed once again the competency of the dicastery of the Laity in its approval of the statute of the Way.

There has been much contact with prelates and episcopal conferences from all over the world - continues the communique -for the assessment of the experience of the Way at the parochial, diocesan and national level. In addition, many patriarchs, cardinals and bishops from around the world have written to the Holy Father encouraging the statute's examination and approval.

The communique concludes by emphasizing that the purpose of the standard that has now been approved is to regulate the normal procedure of the Neocatechumenal Way and its adaptation into the ecclesiastical fabric, offering help to pastors of the Church in their paternal and attentive guidance to neocatechumenal communities.

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