Honest to the Truth

Tim Rohr, a prominent Catholic on Guam tries to dissect the Way.

//junglewatch2.blogspot.com/2013/11/why-junee-must-live-apart.html#more

He lists a number of perceived differences between the traditional and Neocatechumenal mass as follows:

"Difference No. 1

First, neos (and we'll use "neo" for short) do not call it the "Mass". They call it "Eucharist". Nothing wrong with that, but it's still a difference. We go to Mass. They go to Eucharist. 

Difference No. 2

Next, the neo-Eucharist is not normally held in a church. Canon 932 requires that the eucharistic celebration "be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be done in a decent place." (...)

Difference No 3

The Neocatechumenal Way has a separate weekday celebration of the Liturgy of the Word. This is allowed in the approved Statute (Art. 11), but nevertheless it is a "difference", since for the other faithful, a separate celebration of the Word is not permitted:

In the celebration of Mass, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist are intimately connected to one another, and form one single act of worship. For this reason it is not licit to separate one of these parts from the other and celebrate them at different times or places. (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 60.)

Difference No. 4

The next difference is what happens in the celebration of the Eucharist. The statute (Art. 13) allows for three differences: 1) the transfer of the Rite of Peace to after the Prayer of the Faithful, 2) permission to always receive communion under both kinds, and 3) communicants may remain in their place when receiving communion, though they are required to STAND, not sit, as before the Statute was approved in 2008. (...) 

Difference No. 5

The next difference is the music at the liturgy. However, since almost all parishes ignore the musical norms for the liturgy as prescribed in the post-conciliar document, Musicam Sacram (which provides the norms for sacred music as per the desires of the Council), I suppose we cannot take the neo-music too much to task."

I responded to him in order to correct his false claims. He, however, banned me from publishing on his blog because my comment did not support his agenda. He even made false statements about the content of my response as he tried to stir controversy about my words that nobody has had a chance to read on his blog. So, I put here for everyone interested in order to read the original message. Decide by your own if Tim did it right to ban this message from his blog or not.

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Here is my response (as submitted on December 6th)

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Tim, would it be hard, for a change, to consider fellow Catholics as doing something good rather than doing evil? What are the reasons of your biased assumptions regarding the Way?

Ad 1.

The mass is a mass, does not matter how you call it. The mass is also an Eucharistic celebration. Is this anything wrong with this for you?

Ad 2.

The Way provides a special means of organizing faith communities. Community life requires autonomy in the sense of building relations and developing the works of faith. Celebrations are open to the faithful. So if you are interested, please, ask about the time and locations of celebrations. I understand that if you are not particularly interested, then you won't ask about these details. 

Ad 3.

This is a blunder. Check your sources, please. The Way has its Bible studies once a week, each community its own, which is called Celebration of the Word. It has no connection to the weekly mass or Eucharistic Celebration.

Ad 4.

The Eucharistic Prayer is truly the summit of celebration of the Eucharist in the Way. If you would come, you would agree that it is presented in a solemn and most reverent manner. Do you think the Host is desecrated when the faithful keeps it in her/his palm for a short period of time and meditates on its mystery? You should think it over what are the alternatives of celebrating the Eucharist in small communities. Do you have any meaningful alternative? Please, share it! I can assure you that the Host is revered and consumed with a true sense of communion in the Way when members of the community take it and eat it at the same time.

Ad 5.

All music and songs played during celebrations are composed by Kiko Arguello himself who is the founder of the Way. These songs bring the Spirit of the Lord to us through the melodies of our spiritual guide and founder. What is wrong with that?