This morning, in the Hall of Blessing,  Pope Leo XIV  received in audience the leaders of the  Neocatechumenal Way, headed by its initiator Kiko Argüello, María Ascensión Romero, and Don Mario Pezzi, along with bishops, priests, and numerous missionary families present at the meeting.

In his address, the Holy Father expressed his joy at the large group and highlighted the valuable charism of the Neocatechumenal Way, which from its origins has fostered a strong missionary zeal in the Church: to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world so that all may know Christ. Leo XIV recalled how this spiritual journey is especially helpful to those who have drifted away from the faith or whose faith has weakened, offering a path to rediscover Baptism as a gift of grace and a call to be disciples and witnesses of Jesus.

The Pope especially praised the work of  catechists and formators, but he dedicated special thought to the families who, guided by the Spirit, leave their comfort zones to embark on missions to distant and challenging territories. These  itinerant missionaries—comprised of families, catechists, and priests—help to “awaken” the faith of both non-Christians who have never heard of Christ and baptized Christians who have forgotten it, quoting the words of his predecessor, Pope Francis (address of March 6, 2015).

However, the Pope has called for  inner vigilance  and wise discernment in the face of risks present in spiritual and ecclesial life. He emphasized that baptism unites us to Christ and makes us members of his one body, and therefore charisms must always serve the  common good  and the mission of the entire Church (1 Cor 12:7). No gift is superior to others—except charity, which perfects and harmonizes them—and no ministry should lead to a sense of superiority or the exclusion of those who think differently.

Leo XIV exhorted the Neocatechumenal Way to be  witnesses of unity, reminding them that their mission is particular but not exclusive, and that their charism bears fruit in communion with the other gifts of the Church. He asked them to live their spirituality without separating themselves from the ecclesial body, fully integrating themselves into the ordinary pastoral work of parishes, harmonizing with priests and bishops, and advancing with  joy and humility as builders of communion.

Finally, the Pope recalled that the proclamation of the Gospel must be free from all forms of coercion, rigidity, or moralism, so as not to generate guilt or fear instead of inner liberation. He expressed the Church’s gratitude for the commitment and joyful witness of the Neocatechumenal Way, encouraging them to continue with enthusiasm and entrusting them to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Full text:

ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV
TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NEOCATECHUMENAL WAY

Blessing Room
Monday, January 19, 2026

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning and welcome!

I am happy to be with you in such large numbers. I greet the members of the International Team of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello, María Ascensión Romero, and Father Mario Pezzi, as well as the bishops and priests who are with you.

A special thought for the families present here, an expression of your missionary zeal and of that desire which should always animate the whole Church: to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world, so that all may know Christ.

This very desire has always animated and continues to nourish the life of the Neocatechumenal Way, its charism, and the works of evangelization and catechesis that constitute a valuable contribution to the life of the Church. To everyone, especially those who have drifted away or whose faith has weakened, you offer the possibility of a spiritual journey through which to rediscover the meaning of Baptism, so that they may recognize the gift of grace received and, therefore, the call to be disciples of the Lord and his witnesses in the world.

Inspired by this spirit, you have rekindled the fire of the Gospel where it seemed to be dying out and have accompanied many people and Christian communities, awakening them to the joy of faith, helping them to rediscover the beauty of knowing Jesus, and fostering their spiritual growth and their commitment to witness.

In particular, in addition to the formators and catechists, I want to express my gratitude to the families who, heeding the inner prompting of the Spirit, leave the securities of ordinary life and set out on mission, even to distant and difficult territories, with the sole desire to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to God’s love. In this way, the itinerant teams made up of families, catechists, and priests participate in the evangelizing mission of the whole Church and, as Pope Francis affirmed, contribute to “awakening” the faith of “non-Christians who have never heard of Jesus Christ,” but also that of so many baptized Christians who, although they are Christians, “have forgotten […] who Jesus Christ is” (Address to the members of the Neocatechumenal Way, March 6, 2015).

Living the experience of the Neocatechumenal Way and carrying out the mission also requires, on your part, inner vigilance and a wise critical capacity to discern some risks that always lurk in spiritual and ecclesial life.

You propose to everyone a path of rediscovering Baptism, and this sacrament, as we know, by uniting us to Christ, makes us living members of his Body, of his one people, of his one family. We must always remember that we are Church and that, if the Spirit grants each one a particular manifestation, this is given—as the Apostle Paul reminds us—”for the common good” (1 Cor 12:7) and, therefore, for the very mission of the Church. Charisms must always be at the service of the Kingdom of God and of the one Church of Christ, in which no gift of God is more important than another—except charity, which perfects and harmonizes them all—and no ministry should become a reason to feel superior to our brothers and sisters or to exclude those who think differently.

Therefore, I also invite you, who have encountered the Lord and live following him in the Neocatechumenal Way, to be witnesses of this unity. Your mission is particular but not exclusive; your charism is specific, but it bears fruit in communion with the other gifts present in the life of the Church; the good you do is great, but its purpose is to enable people to know Christ, always respecting each person’s life journey and conscience.

As custodians of this unity in the Spirit, I urge you to live your spirituality without ever separating yourselves from the rest of the ecclesial body, as a living part of the ordinary pastoral work of the parishes and their diverse realities, in full communion with your brothers and sisters, and in particular with the priests and bishops. Go forward in joy and humility, without closed-mindedness, as builders and witnesses of communion!

The Church accompanies you, supports you, and is grateful for what you do. At the same time, she reminds everyone that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17). Therefore, the proclamation of the Gospel, catechesis, and the various forms of pastoral action must always be free from coercion, rigidity, and moralizing so that they do not generate feelings of guilt and fear instead of inner liberation.

My dearest ones, I appreciate your commitment, your joyful witness, and the service you render in the Church and in the world. I encourage you to continue with enthusiasm, and I bless you while invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary to accompany and protect you. Thank you!