The Pontifical Council for the Laity, by decree dated 8 January 2012, after consultation with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has given its approval to the ceremonies contained in the Neocatechumenal Way Catechetical Directory which, by nature, are not contained in the liturgical books of the Church.

This provision concludes the process of the juridical organisation of the Neocatechumenal Way. The Statutes received definitive approbation from the Pontifical Council for the Laity by decree dated 11 May 2008. This was followed by a decree from this dicastery dated 26 December 2010 that gave authorisation for the publication of the Neocatechumenal Way Catechetical Directory.

Today, Friday 20 January 2012, Pope Benedict XVI has received a large number of representatives of the Neocatechumenal Way in special audience in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. He has addressed them with words of advice and encouragement.


Read the address of the Pope in Italian.