The Television news on Channel 1 (TG1) and Channel 2 (TG2) of the Italian Television RAI have aired yesterday afternoon, March 16, 2020, an inaccurate news item relating to two meetings of a Neocatechumenal community in ATENA LUCANA and SALA CONSILINA (Campania).

The The meeting of the faithful of the Way took place on February 28 and 29 in a hotel in Atena Lucana (while in Naples the Naples-Turin soccer game was played: in the open stadium with 55,000 spectators) and no ordinance from the Governor prohibited the meeting (the Ordinance of February 26 referred exclusively to two other municipalities of Campania region, MONTANO ANTILIA and CERASO).

The Bishop of Teggiano-Policastro, Mons. Antonio De Luca, has declared that the faithful of the Way have celebrated the Eucharist without exchanging peace and receiving the host in hand, respecting the regulations issued for diocese in those early days.

The meeting in SALA CONSILINA took place on March 4 in the afternoon, after 18:30. The communiqué of the CEI (Italian Bishops’ Conference) and that of the Bishops’ Conference of Campania are from March 5: therefore there was not yet no prohibition of meetings. In addition, the Decree of the Italian Prime Minister for all Italy is of March 9.

How Neocatechumens can then be accused of disobedience, or just neglect of these documents by the Bishops and civil authorities? The news given is harmful to the good name and image of the Camino and must be disclaimed, with an obligation to rectify according to current laws, precisely in this difficult time when many brothers in Italy and around the world are striving to give help and on behalf of so many weak people, hit by the virus, also through their collaboration in various structures and Health centers.

Dr. Adelchi Chinaglia, Esq.

Rev. Ezechiele Pasotti

(Press office of the Neocatechumenal Way)