“It is clear to us that the Pope,” he added, “who has a special charism as we have seen, realizes that the future of the new evangelization passes through the Christian community, through families, and the Christian community saves families, and families save society and save the Church.”
He reflected on the history of the Neocatechumenal Way, noting that the group has “been around for more than 40 years, and we continue working with the same spirit.”
The movement is “still on fire, just like in the beginning, with the desire to evangelize in Asia and in China,” he said.
The Neocatechumenal Way currently has five seminaries in China and hopes to carry out further mission work in Thailand and Vietnam.
“I have told young people that we need 20,000 priests for China and five thousand young people have come forward. We have five thousand young people preparing themselves, finding out how much studies they have completed, how they can prepare themselves, how they can receive formation.”
During the Jan. 20 meeting with the Pope, the movement also sent out 18 mission groups “to the aborigines in Australia as well.”
The “state doesn’t know what to do with them because they are psychologically destroyed,” he explained. “Many drink and commit suicide. All they know how to do is give them money.”
“And yet,” he added, “we have sent an ad gentes mission there to evangelize them and bring them Jesus Christ, and we have already seen wonderful results.”
Argüello on called on the members of the Neocatechumenal Way throughout the world to join together in their communities and parishes at “a Marian shrine in order to give thanks” for the papal approval. “She is interceding for us. We sense her closeness to us,” he said.