“The only thing that will be able to save us is if the Pope dies.”
Here are some scandalous remarks that Kiko Argüello made on March 14, 2017 during a Neocatechumenal Way vocational meeting held in Puerto Rico. Argüello recounted the severe tensions that arose between the movement and the Holy See during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. He referred to the liturgical investigations and strict guidelines imposed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Divine Worship regarding the Neocatechumenal Way’s distinct Mass practices (such as receiving Communion while remaining seated).
What he described as a “sentencia terrible” referred to directives and decisions prepared under Benedict XVI that sought to curtail or normalize those liturgical peculiarities, including ending their separate and exclusive Masses and making them “go to Mass with everyone”.
Argüello explained to the audience that officials in Rome reportedly told him the restrictive ruling was not immediately operational and to await the next pontificate. He concluded that the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) in 2013 effectively neutralized that threat and protected the the Way’s standing (“Y Bergoglio nos ha salvado. El cardenal Bergoglio“).
Original Spanish Audio Transcript
“Y no te digo los procesos que hemos tenido en Alemania, en todas partes. Gracias a Dios, estamos muy contentos de ser perseguidos porque lo más importante de un cristiano es parecerse a Jesucristo que fue odiado. Y nosotros no podemos ser más grandes que nuestro Señor. El discípulo le basta ser como su maestro.
Bueno, ya me han perseguido bastante, ¿eh? Y nos ha salvado y nos querían matar, querían quitar la misa de las pequeñas comunidades y que fuéramos a misa con todos y nos denunciaron a la Cuarta… nos han hecho pasar unos sufrimientos horribles, pero gracias a Dios yo decía: ‘Lo único que nos podrá salvar es que muera el Papa.’ Dije así porque estábamos ya perdidos; y no ha muerto, pero se retiró. Oh, gracias a Dios.
Entonces, después de habernos hecho una sentencia terrible, pregunté a la Santa Sede si era operativo. Me dijeron: ‘No, no, no es operativo. Hay que esperar al siguiente Papa.’ Y Bergoglio nos ha salvado. El cardenal Bergoglio.”
English Translation
“And I won’t even tell you about the legal processes and trials we’ve had in Germany, everywhere. Thank God, we are very happy to be persecuted because the most important thing for a Christian is to resemble Jesus Christ, who was hated. And we cannot be greater than our Lord. It is enough for the disciple to be like his master.
Well, they have persecuted me enough, huh? And it saved us—they wanted to kill us, they wanted to eliminate the Mass of the small communities and make us go to Mass with everyone, and they reported us to the Fourth Congregation… they made us go through horrible suffering. But thank God, I used to say: ‘The only thing that will be able to save us is if the Pope dies.’ I said that because we were already lost; and he didn’t die, but he resigned [retired]. Oh, thank God.
Then, after they passed a terrible decree/sentence against us, I asked the Holy See if it was operational [enforceable]. They told me: ‘No, no, it is not operational. We have to wait for the next Pope.’ And Bergoglio saved us. Cardinal Bergoglio.”
