Archbishop-Coadjutor of Guam Demands an End to Liturgical Abuse -- Deadline: Two Weeks

Michael Byrnes, new Archbishop of Hagatna on Guam

(Hagatna) The Archbishop-Coadjutor of Hagatna at Guam, headed by Michael Byrnes, who had been in office since 30 November 2016, formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, has criticized the liturgical abuse on the South Sea island, which is a non-incorporated territory of the USA.

Archbishop-Coadjutor Byrnes, in fact, heads the Archdiocese as the official in charge of an ecclesiastical process against Archbishop Anthony Apuron. Monsignor Byrnes has urged all parts of his archdiocese to comply with liturgical regulations for the celebration of Holy Mass. Specifically, his reservations are directed against the Neocatechumenal Way. The charismatic group, counted among the "New Communities," was asked by the Archbishop to suspend the formation of new groups for a year and to celebrate the Mass according to the General Instructions.

Celebration of the Neocatechumenal Way on the Island of Guam.

According to Monsignor Byrnes, Holy Mass is to be celebrated on Sunday (after the First Vespers) and not systematically on Saturday, on a consecrated altar in a parish church or approved chapel, and that Holy Communion would be immediately consumed after the reception.

Criticism is concerned with the special liturgical forms of the Neocatechumenal Way, with a judaizing, actually a pseudo-Jewish, character. The groups of the Neocatechumenal Way celebrate Holy Mass on Saturday (Sabbath) in their own rooms outside the churches and as a closed group. Holy Communion is not immediately taken at the reception, but taken back to one's place.

The Coadjutor also criticized the separation of this community, which is isolated from the parishes and leads a special life in the Church. Bishop Byrnes says that his concern is to restore the Archdiocese. The Neocatechumenal Way was recently accused of splitting the diocese.

On 15 March, Monsignor Byrnes presented his concerns and his demands in a pastoral letter addressed to the Archdiocese. This calls for the suspension of the establishment of new groups of the Neocatechumenal Way for a year. The Archbishop-Coadjutor announced the appointment of a delegate with the task of visiting all the communities of the Neocatechumenal Way next year to ensure the correct celebration of Holy Mass and to examine the catechists of this community for their preparation and suitability.

The bishop granted a period of two weeks to cease liturgical abuse.

The pastoral letter was published by the Pacific Daily News.

The Neocatechumenal Way is known as a lifelong "Way" (itinerarium) of the faith instruction. It includes more than 40,000 groups worldwide with more than one million members.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Church Militant (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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