Rome, 05/04/2018.- Pope Francis will preside tomorrow Saturday, May 5 at Tor Vergata, in the outskirts of Rome, an international gathering of the Neocatechumenal Way for the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its arrival in this city.

It will be a gatherine of thanks for all these years of love and God’s faithfulness to the Way, recognized by the Holy See as a Christian initiation of adults, born among the poor of shanty towns of Palomeras Altas in the outskirts of Madrid (Spain).

Kiko Argüello, initiator of the Camino and responsible for the international team, affirms that “we are very grateful to Pope Francis for celebrating with us these 50 years of the Way”

“The Holy Father received us in audience first on September 4 of last year. We presented this gathering and from the first moment, he showed willingness to preside it”.

On Thursday, April 19, the team formed by Kiko Argüello, Fr. Mario Pezzi and María Ascensión Romero, met again with the Pontiff to finalize the details of the event.

“The Pope, as he has done on other occasions, thanked us for the good that the Way is doing to the Church, specifically through of Christian initiation and evangelization throughout the world. ”

Tomorrow will be a meeting in which Carmen Hernández, co-initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way will be very present with Kiko, who died on July 19, 2016 in Madrid.

“Carmen has been a fantastic woman who has loved the Church more than me and that has always been by my side in all these years. She has never flattered me, she has always spoken to me in the truth and she that she, herself, brought the Second Vatican Council to me on a tray ”.

The initiator of the Way also highlights “the love that the different Pontiffs, especially John Paul II, had towards Carmen.”

Kiko, together with Fr. Mario Pezzi and María Ascensión Romero also invite everyone who wishes to celebrate this 50th anniversary.

At least 16 cardinals and 90 bishops will participate in the gathering from various parts of the world, as well as some prominent ambassadors before the Holy See.

It will begin at 10am with a brief presentation by Kiko of the thousands of pilgrims arriving from the 134 nations around the world where the Way is present.

Next, he will announce Kerigma, the Good News of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Pope Francis will arrive at 11am and after being introduced,the assembly and the Gospel has been proclaimed, he will deliver his speech. Then, the 34 new missio ad gentes will be sent to evangelize in secularized areas or where the Church has little presence.

Francis it will also send 25 communities of the parishes of Rome – who have concluded this Christian initiation and they received a destination in a meeting last Sunday April 22 in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls – to others on the outskirts of the city whose pastors have requested their help to call those far from the faith.

The climax will be the song of “Te Deum” to give thanks for these 50 years.