DECREE

The Neocatechumenal Way began in 1964 in the slums of Palomeras Altas, Madrid, through the work of Mr. Francisco (kiko) Gomez-Arguello and of Miss Carmen Hernandez who, at the request of the poor with whom they were living, began to announce to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As time pased, this kerygma was embodied in a catechetical synthesis founded on the tripod " Word of God-Liturgy-Community", wich aims at leading people to fraternal communion and mature faith.

This new itinerary of Christian initiation, born in the wake of the renewal fostered by the second Ecumenical Vatican Council, met the keen interest of the then Archbishop of Madrid, His Excellency Archbishop Casimiro Morcillo, who encouraged the initiators of the Way to bring it to the parishes that would ask for it. Thus it spread gradually through the Archdiocese of Madrid and to other Spanish dioceses.

In 1968, the initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way came to Rome and settled in the Borghetto Latino. With the consent of his Eminence Cardinal Angelo Dell'Acqua,the then vicar General of His Holiness for the City and Distric of Rome, the first catecheses were started in the parish of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and the Canadian Martyrs. Since that date, the Way has progressively spread to dioceses all over the world.

The Neocatechumenal Way is an itinerary of Catholic formation that "is at the service of the Bishops as a form of diocesan implementation of Christian initiation and of ongoing education in faith" ( Statute, art. 1,2), it has been granted public juridical personality.

The Neocatechumenal Way - lived within parishes and in small communities constituted by people of diferent ages and social conditions- is implemented according to the lines proposed by the initiators, which are contained in the statute and in the volumes entitled Orientations for the teams of Catechist; it has the ultimate goal of gradually bringing the faitful to intimacy with Jesus Christ , making them active subjects of the Church and credible witnesses of the good News of our savior;it promotes the mission ad gentes not only in mission countries, but also those of ancient Christian tradition today unfortunately deeply secularizad; it is an instrument for the Christian initiation of adults who are preparing to recieve Baptism according to the norms contained in the Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum.

On many occasions and in different ways, the servant of God John Paul II highlighted the abundance of fruits of evangelical radicalism and of extraordinary missionary drive thet the Neocatechumenal Way brings in the life of the faithful, of the families,of the parish communities, and the wealth of vocations which it inspires to the priestly and religious life, manifesting itself as "an itinerary of Catholic formation, valid for our society and for our times".

In his turn, the Holy Father Benedict XVI,speaking to the members of the Neocatechumenal Way on January 12th,2006, said: "Your apostolic action intends to take place in the earth of the Church, in total harmony with her directives and in comunion with the particular Churches in which you are going to work, making the most of the richness of the charism that the lord has awakened through the initiators of the way.

Consequently:

After the end of the five years period of " ad experimentum " approval of the statute of the Neocatechumenal Way.

Having taken into account the precious contribution-witnessed to by numerous bishops-that the way continues to give to the work of the new evangelization, through a praxis welcomed and valued for more than 40 years in many local churches;

Having examined the request filed with this council by Mr. Francisco Jose (kiko) Gomez-Arguello, by Miss Carmen Hernandez and by Fr. Mario Pezzy, members of the international team responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way, asking for the definitive approval of the aforementioned statute;

Accepting favorably the changes made to the text of the Statutes;

The definitive approval of the Statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way duly authenticated by the Dicastery. and kept in its archives. this is done with the confidence that these statutory norms may constitute firm and secure guidelines for the life of the Way and that they may be of help for Pastors in their fatherly and careful accompanisment of the Neocatechumenal communities in the local Churches.

Given in the vatican May 11,2008, Solemnity of Pentecost .