The 7 Steps to the Destruction of a Catholic Parish

 

Division within a Christian community is a very grave sin; it is the work of the devil.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 30, 2014

 [The following is based on an anonymous comment from August 2016 on the Guam-based blog JungleWatch. We have edited and expanded slightly on the commenter's original thoughts. The original post, with the accompanying comment, can be found here. It is interesting to note that the post on which this comment appears concerns a parish and priest in the Archdiocese of Denver.]

This is a common story in all parishes when a priest formed in the life and practice of the Neocatechumenal Way is assigned to the parish and especially if he becomes pastor of the parish.

The following steps begin the destruction of a Catholic parish (the 7 steps to the destruction of a Catholic parish):

1. The Neocat priest will either proudly proclaim (or gradually let it be known the more confident he gets) that he is a priest today because of the Neocatechumenal Way where he first heard his calling. (You’ll be hard-pressed to find a priest who felt the calling early in life - there was always a terribly sinful past until the Way - never mind if he grew up in it either).  He will frequently persuade parishioners to "walk in the Way," which he firmly believes is the "only way to walk in the church", despite claims that there are “many flowers in the garden of God’s Church”.  He will introduce the early phases of the Way by getting existing parishioners to come to Advent or Lenten “talks”, catecheses, or simply faith formation sessions - which never mention “Neocatechumenal Way” and you never know that it’s more than a few sessions. 

2. The Neocat priest will focus most of his effort and energy on serving his Neocatechumenal communities while the regular parish has to contend with being the lower priority. 

He will sit through the 2-3 times per week talks, of which he’s heard and seen it all before many times; attend the “spontaneous” three-day retreats (called "convivences") where new communities are formed; go on a week-long “mission” trip where he is placed in some random US city to “evangelize” to other already Catholic parishes. He will attend World Youth Day or other pilgrimages with the communities with the primary focus of being with other Neocat communities (or introducing unaware non-Neocats to Neocat philosophies ) and listening to more of the same Neocat songs and lectures by head catechists such as the founder, Kiko. All the while, the running of the parish, its sacramental preparations, financial, or meeting with “regular” parishioners are relegated to minimal time and attention. Priests not in the Way then have to pick up many of the responsibilities.

3. The Neocat priest will not act in the best interests of his diverse flock as his aim is to diminish the other communities/groups so that the Neocatechumenal community becomes the most prominent group in the parish; therefore becoming a Neocatechumenal Way parish.

4. Once a Neocatechumenal community is established in the parish you will notice a prevailing attitude of superiority among the Neocatechumenal community members towards the parishioners who are not in the Neocatechumenal community. This behavior is fully supported by and even perpetuated by the Neocat priest,  which is demonstrated by their disdainful attitude towards those who are not in the Neocatechumenal community and especially those who have rejected it. 

5. Neocatechumenal symbols such as the Neocatechumenal cross and icons will be introduced and used in the Mass and throughout the parish building(s); Kiko music will be integrated into some of the liturgies (always loud, with clapping, and attention seeking); the altar will be covered with make-shift tables to accommodate their many platters and bowls for the “Eucharist” for special events held in the sanctuary - otherwise various rooms in the parish building(s) will be made to accommodate their way of doing Mass--Masses that are infrequently or not at all posted in the weekly bulletin, on the parish website, or any other public forum (although they claim it’s open to other parishioners). 

The Neocat priest's sermons will frequently include teachings that are from the Neocatechumenal community which are theologically shallow, confusing, contain errors, and often have no relation to the Mass readings or theme of the day.  He will frequently use the words “your woundedness”, “brokenness”, “sufferings”, “courage”, “hating in your heart”, “judging one another”, and “wearing a mask”  - along with simplistic examples of marital and family problems, many of which sound as though they are from 1965 (“the husband comes home, he takes off his muddy boots and leaves them on the freshly cleaned floor”).  The highly negative and often shouted homilies will often assume hatred between husbands and wives, between parent and child.  He may even walk around with a microphone and “interview” those in attendance to see “what they heard from the gospel reading” that day (they call this “echos” in the communities - because why let the celebration of the Mass be focused on the worship of God when you can talk about yourself!). 

If he has a problem with a parishioner he will call them out by way of the circumstance during Mass, inadvertently calling him/her a Judas or heathen.  If he speaks of God's love for you, there is always a “but” or “even though” with a negative attached.  

6. Catholics who see this heresy for what it is begin leaving the parish and/or start attending Mass in neighboring parishes as they are uncomfortable with what they are hearing at mass and with the situation in the parish. They may also be aware of the scandalous behavior of the priest. 

7. Those who choose to stay in the parish have to contend with this unpleasant situation and be treated with disdain in their own parish.  All staff and volunteer positions are replaced with those in the Way regardless of the willingness or competence of the non-Neocat. The number of parishioners and weekly parish collections/attendance diminishes.  

These 7 steps fulfill the aim (see point 3) of the Neocat priest, and one more parish succumbs to the onslaught of this Protestant-Judeo heresy.  The Neocats will not care or feel any guilt about those who have left because they will justify themselves with judgments against them (they are weak, not a true Christian, they are like the Pharisees), never as a reflection against themselves.