Berlin, 06/08/2018
The Neocatechumenal Way will celebrate tomorrow, Saturday 9, and Sunday June 10, the anniversary of their 40 years of life in Berlin with various events. It will be commemorated with a thanksgiving eucharist, presentation of the book “Annotations” of the initiator of the Way and international manager, Kiko Argüello, and the Symphonic-Catechetical Celebration “The Suffering of Innocents ”–whose music has been composed by Kiko himself– in the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic.
Thanksgiving
The thanksgiving Eucharist will be tomorrow at 8 pm in the Cathedral of St. Hedwig, in Berlin-Mitte. It will be presided by Archbishop Msgr Heiner Koch, and concelebrated by Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, and Archbishop emeritus of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela.
Bishop Koch has expressed the desire to thank the Neocatechumenal Way for its 40 years of New Evangelization.
Hundreds of people from all over Germany are expected to attend.
Kiko Argüello presents his book “Annotations”
With more than 35,000 copies of his book sold in various languages, “Annotations” is a collection of the author’s reflections, thoughts, poetry and sufferings between the years 1988 and 2014.
Kiko Argüello will present the German version on Sunday at 16:30 at the Catholic Academy in Berlin.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, will again participate in the act, who will offer some insight to this work that has an epilogue by Cardinal Gerhard Müller, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who presented the work in Rome in November 2016. The book also has with a preface by Cardinal Cordes.
The preface to the Spanish version is from the President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of Valladolid, Ricardo Blázquez Pérez.
Cardinal Müller writes in the epilogue that “the Popes have analyzed, accompanied and promoted the Neocatechumenal Way in several phases ”. “It was Pope Benedict XVI who, on May 11, 2008, granted their statutes the canonical approval, thus recognizing the charism of the founders as action of the Holy Spirit aimed at spiritual edification and as a ministry of the Church and approving that path of evangelization of the world and a new evangelization for baptized Catholics.”
“The ‘Annotations, 1988-2014’, collected by Kiko Argüello and contained in the book, do not offer systematic reflections or fragmentaries on the themes of faith and theology. They are, instead, the testimony of an inner path of the soul and the efforts to gain trust in God as well as union with the crucified and suffering Lord.”
“But, how much good can be done with this book!”, The Cardinal also writes.
In the preface, Cardinal Cordes assures that “Kiko‘s notes are not only a key to understand the Neocatechumenate, but beyond this spiritual movement, they can represent useful incentives for the apostolate in general.”
The Cardinal adds that “the author in his Annotations opens the depths of his soul ”and underlines that“ the charism that the Holy Spirit has entrusted to the initiators of the Neocatechumenate, has been contagious, by force of the same Spirit, to many others. In the meantime, its diffusion is impressive ”.
For his part, Kiko Argüello explains that he decided to publish his “notes” to “proclaim the glory of God, bearing witness to his free love and unconditional faithfulness towards me that, as you can see, I am inadequate, unworthy, useless, unfaithful… ” “If these notes help someone, blessed be God ”, says the initiator and international manager of the Way.
“Annotations” is the second book by Argüello after the publication in 2013 of “El Kerigma, in the shantytown with the poor ”, translated into more than 25 languages and with thousands of copies sold.
The Berlin Philharmonic hosts “The Suffering of the Innocents”
New York, Boston, Chicago, Auschwitz, Madrid, Paris, the Vatican, Israel, Tokyo or Fukushima are just a few places where the Symphony composed by Kiko Argüello himself, “The Suffering of the Innocents”.
On this occasion, the musical work that describes the suffering of the Virgin at the foot of the cross, travels to Berlin, where it will be performed before 2,200 people at the prestigious Philharmonic.
Rabbi David Rosen, Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee and Honorary President of the International Council of Christians and Jews, in addition to being in charge of relations with the Vatican and who has been a direct witness of this music on several occasions, describes the work as a “revolution in the relationship between Christians and the people of Israel.”
It will be a very special event organized in the name of the Jewish-Christian dialogue, following the will of Pope Francis, who has expressed on many occasions the need to create bridges between the two confessions.
“Of enemies and strangers we have become friends and brothers ”. “Christians, in order to understand themselves, cannot fail to refer to their Jewish roots, and the Church, while professing salvation through faith in Christ, recognizes the irrevocability of the Old Covenant and God’s unfailing, steadfast love for Israel.”, Francis stated during his visit to the Synagogue in Rome in 2016.
With this Celebration Symphonic-Catechetical, victims of the Shoá, the Holocaust that ended the lives of more than 6 million people at the hands of Nazism.
Present will be numerous authorities, including the aforementioned cardinals and again the Archbishop of Berlin, Mgr. Heiner Koch.
A large number of Jewish rabbis and believers who have shown their enthusiasm in contributing to the reconciliation between Christianity and Judaism.
The Neocatechumenal Way has been revealed as a true instrument in this regard and among its initiatives, there have been two international meetings of rabbis and cardinals (2015 and 2017) held at the Domus Galilaeae, located on the Mount of the Beatitudes (Holy Land).
The music of Kiko Argüello, which will be performed by the Neocatechumenal Way Symphony Orchestra formed by 110 musicians and 90 chorus girls, is directed by the prestigious orchestra director, internationally renowned Tomáš Hanus.
The beginning of the Way in Germany, thanks to Benedict XVI.
After the then Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) knew the Neocatechumenal Way through the responsible itinerant team, Toni and Bruna Spandri, in 1975, and shortly before he was appointed Archbishop of Munich, he showed once again, his support expressing his “strong desire” that “this experience can start in Germany.”
Since then, the Way has spread throughout the different dioceses of the country.
The Way in the present The Way emerged among the poor in Madrid (Spain) in 1964 through Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, who died on July 19, 2016. Currently, the international responsible team is formed by Kiko Argüello, María Ascensión Romero and Father Mario Pezzi.
It is present in 134 nations of the five continents, with 21,300 communities in 6,270 parishes, as well like 1,668 families on mission that evangelize in de-christianized from the five continents, and with 120 Diocesan Missionaries Redemptoris Mater seminaries.