Kiko, are you listening?

Pope Francis recently laid down some powerful principles of authentic renewal in a message that Kiko Arguello should really heed.

Kiko-i-kri
Kiko Arguello, Peacock and Leader for Life

In a address to members of the Charismatic Renewal in Italy on July 3, 2015, the Pope said that true unity is not uniformity and that a unity in diversity must be maintained.  No renewal leader should serve for life, he insisted, and those that consider themselves indispensable often slip into vanity, becoming “peacocks”, and becoming corrupt and authoritarian.   “The devil comes in through the wallet“, warned Pope Francis.  Furthermore, the Pope  referred to “personalismo”, the cult of personality that often surrounds these leaders, and said that limits should be placed upon the term of service of such leaders.  He took special notice of founders of movements and advised that they should step aside to let others lead.

Kiko are you listening?

Here are some excerpts, but you you can read the Pope’s words in the original Italian here.

“Renewal that works for itself”

“Yes, if the river stops, the water rots; if the renewal, this current of grace does not end in the ocean of God, love of God, [but]works for itself and is not of Jesus Christ, this is from the evil one, the father of lies. Renewal comes from God and goes to God.”

Unity in diversity, not uniformity

“In the stadium last year I also spoke of unity in diversity. I gave the example of the orchestra. In Evangelii Gaudium I talked about the ball and the polyhedron. Do not just talk about unity, which is not any one unit.  It is not uniformity. It cannot be said to be understood as the unity of a sphere where every point is equidistant from the center and there is no difference between one point and another, rather the model is the polyhedron, reflecting the confluence of all the parts in it that retain their originality and these are the gifts, but unity in diversity. Unity in diversity. The distinction is important because we are talking about the work of the Holy Spirit, not ours. Unity in diversity of expression of reality, as many as the Holy Spirit wanted to arouse.  You must also remember that the whole, that this unity, is more than the part, and the part can not be attributed to the whole...the Holy Spirit blows where it wants, when he wants and how he wants. Unity in diversity and in the truth that is Jesus himself.”

Leaders becoming “peacocks” and authoritarian

“…There is another point which is very important to clarify, in this current of grace: those who guide. There dear brothers and sisters, it is tempting for leaders – and I repeat, I prefer the term servants, who serve -; and this temptation for the servants is of the devil, the temptation to believe that they are indispensable, whatever the position.  The devil leads them to want to be the ones who command, those that are at the heart and so, step by step, they slide into authoritarianism, glorifying a single leader (“personalismo”), and leaving no living communities renewed in the Spirit. This temptation makes “everlasting” the position of those who consider themselves in an irreplaceable position that always has some kind of power or dominate over others. This is clear to us: the only irreplaceable person in the Church is the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is the only Lord… The time in offices, which are actually services, must be limited…It is best that all services in the Church have a deadline, there is no leader for life in the Church. This happens in some countries where there is a dictatorship…This temptation, which is the devil, makes you move from servant to master, you’ll take over that community, that group. This temptation makes you even slip into vanity. And there are many people – we heard these two witnesses, the couple and one of Hugh – how these many temptations lead to pain and prevent it from doing good, and the community becomes an organization as if it were an NGO; and power leads us – excuse me but I say: how many leaders become peacocks? – The power leads to the vanity! And then you feel capable of doing anything, you can slip in business, because the devil always comes in by the wallets, this is the door of the devil.

Another thing are the founders who have received from the Holy Spirit the charism of foundation. For they who have received it have an obligation of making their communities and associations become mature.  The founders remain so for life, that is, are those that inspire, give inspiration, but they let [the communities and associations] go ahead. I knew in Buenos Aires a good founder, who at one point  became voluntarily the councilor, and let others lead.”

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Tags:  Neocatechumenal Way, cammino neocatecumenale, problems, problemas, Kiko Arguello

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