Kiko Argüello could not hide his emotion just minutes after the meeting between the Pope and hundreds of Neocatechumenal families, who will leave their country as missionaries.
KIKO ARGÜELLO Neocatechumenal Way
'I am grateful to the Holy Father and very happy for the families. It was a show. These families comfort us; they love us a lot. They are very generous; they are full of joy.' There are 270 families, who move in small missionary groups to 57 dechristianized areas in several countries. Their dream is to stay there indefinitely, to live and change the peoples' lives forever.
KIKO ARGÜELLO Neocatechumenal Way
'Everything you have seen has been the initiative of bishops. They ask us about receiving missionary families; it's not us. The bishops are very happy. In fact, France is waking up. There are many missions, and in the south of France, there are already five seminaries.'
Many of these families leave home and work to move to cities in countries such as Sweden, Britain or Germany. Some also aim for more difficult areas such as India, China, Papua New Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Kiko says his dream is that people of other religions also come to know the Gospel.
KIKO ARGÜELLO Neocatechumenal Way
'Muslims. When Muslims know our communities, they are impacted.'
Kiko Argüello is one of the three 'initiators' of the Neocatechumenal Way, along with Italian priest, Mario Pezzi and Spanish theologian, Carmen Hernandez. The Way began during the 60s, in the poor neighborhoods of Madrid, as a cathequesis proposal to personally rediscover baptism. Today Neocatechumenal communities are in at least 120 countries and have more than 100 seminaries.
