Pope Leo XIV Meets Neocatechumenal Way Leaders, Celebrates Mission and Unity in Historic Vatican Audience
Newsroom (06/06/2025 09:46 , Gaudium Press) Pope Leo XIV welcomed the International Team of the Neocatechumenal Way—Kiko Argüello, Father Mario Pezzi, and María Ascensión Romero—to the Library of the Apostolic Palace at 11:00 a.m. on June 5, 2025.
During the cordial meeting, Argüello expressed his joy at the pontiff’s election, noting that God had given the Church a missionary Pope—a mission shared by the Neocatechumenal Way, which evangelizes both in nations unfamiliar with Christ and those that have drifted from the faith.
As a gift, Argüello presented the Pope with a replica of the Virgin of the Way icon, housed in Madrid’s cathedral chapel, bearing the inscription: “We must build communities like the Holy Family of Nazareth, living in humility, simplicity, and praise. The other is Christ.” He also offered a copy of the newly published book “Undivided Heart, Mission and Virginity,” compiling over 400 reflections by Carmen Hernández on women’s theology—a gesture the Holy Father warmly appreciated.
Argüello highlighted a providential connection between the Pope’s May 8 election and key moments in the Way’s history. On that date in 1968, shortly after arriving in Italy, he and Hernández entrusted the movement to Our Lady of Pompeii. Six years later, on May 8, 1974, St. Paul VI received the founders in an audience, affirming their work with the words: “Behold the fruits of the Council… You are doing what the early Church did… seeking the authenticity of Christian life.”
The team briefed the Pope on the Way’s global evangelization efforts, including parish-based Christian initiation programs, support for families amid modern challenges, and vocational discernment. Pope Leo XIV praised the dedication of countless families serving missions in impoverished regions, as well as the movement’s presence in 138 nations and its Redemptoris Mater seminaries—over 100 across five continents—forming diocesan missionary priests.
The pontiff encouraged the leaders to persevere in their ministry, underscoring the importance of love and unity—themes reflected in the day’s Gospel (Jn 17:20-26) and echoed in his papal motto, “In illo Uno, Unum.” The meeting concluded with his blessing, reaffirming the Neocatechumenal Way’s mission as a vital force in the Church’s new evangelization.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Vatican and neocatechumenaleiter.org
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