Once the precatechumenate concludes, the community enters the , often referred to as the "Kerygmatic Year." This paso is structured around a series of weekly "scrutinies" and "catecheses." The key liturgical paso within this year is the celebration of the Passover of the Signs . Over three consecutive Saturdays, the community relives the great "signs" of the Old Testament (the sacrifice of Abraham, the Passover of the lamb in Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the gift of the Law at Sinai). This is not a historical lecture but a symbolic and personal appropriation: each member confronts their own "Egypt" of slavery to sin and experiences a communal exodus. This year culminates in the First Scrutiny , a ceremony that resembles the ancient rite of exorcism and renunciation, preparing the members for the central paso of the entire Way.
In the vast landscape of the Catholic Church, the 20th century witnessed a flourishing of new ecclesial movements and lay communities, each responding uniquely to the call of the aggiornamento (updating) of the Second Vatican Council. Among the most widespread and, at times, controversial of these is the Neocatechumenal Way (Camino Neocatecumenal). Founded in Madrid in 1964 by Spanish artist Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, the Way is not a separate organization or a parallel church, but an itinerary of Catholic formation that rediscover the meaning of Christian initiation. Its core structure is built upon a series of progressive pasos (steps or stages). These pasos are not mere classes or spiritual retreats; they are a gradual, communal journey that seeks to lead baptized Catholics from a merely cultural or nominal faith to a mature, adult, and missionary Christian life, lived in the image of the early Church. pasos camino neocatecumenal
Beyond the three years, the Way recognizes that conversion is a lifelong journey. Members enter the (on the way) phase, a permanent structure of weekly catechesis, communal celebrations of the Eucharist (often held in homes or parish halls, with singing, testimonies, and a shared breakfast afterwards), and monthly "scrutinies." A distinctive paso for men who feel a call to priesthood is the Redemptoris Mater seminary. These are diocesan seminaries run according to the Neocatechumenal charism, where men are formed in a missionary spirit, often willing to serve in distant or difficult dioceses. This paso has become a significant source of vocations for the Church. This year culminates in the First Scrutiny ,
Introduction
To understand the pasos , one must first grasp the Neocatechumenal Way’s foundational premise: the "post-baptismal catechumenate." In the early Church, the catechumenate was a long, disciplined preparation for baptism. Today, while infant baptism is normative, many baptized individuals have never truly encountered the kerygma—the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Christ as the central event of salvation. The Way, therefore, proposes a "second initiation" for those who are already baptized but living a faith that is weak, routine, or absent. The pasos are the concrete means by which this rediscovery is achieved. They are not a ladder to be climbed alone but a path walked in a small community, under the guidance of a catechist team. Founded in Madrid in 1964 by Spanish artist
The pasos of the Neocatechumenal Way constitute a robust, demanding, and highly structured pedagogy of faith. Critics have sometimes accused the Way of rigidity, secrecy, or a lack of integration with parish structures. However, proponents argue that the pasos are a courageous attempt to retrieve the ancient catechumenate for a secularized world. By breaking the Christian journey into concrete, liturgical, and communal steps—from the initial kerygma through the scrutinies to the final sending—the Way forces its members to take the reality of conversion seriously. It is not a path for the faint of heart, nor a quick fix. It is a long, often painful, yet deeply joyful camino (way) that seeks to transform baptized individuals from passive believers into active witnesses. In a Church that perpetually needs renewal, the pasos of the Neocatechumenal Way represent a radical, if controversial, return to the ancient conviction that to be a Christian is not just to have been baptized, but to be continually walking toward the Father, in the company of a small, imperfect, and loving community.