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The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church. Worship is characterized by vibrant Masses, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy and sometimes glossolalia, or "speaking in tongues." This movement is based on the belief that certain charisms (a Greek word for gifts), bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as the abilities to speak in tongues and to heal (which Christians generally believe existed in the early Church as described in the Bible) should still be practiced today.

A dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, who is believed by Christians to confer various gifts.

A Catholic church in Ann Arbor, Michigan describes charismatic prayer:

"A charismatic style of prayer is common at Christ the King. People are free to raise their hands in prayer and during songs, many pray their own prayers audibly, some pray in tongues, etc.... They pray with expressive or charismatic prayer at monthly parish prayer meetings, at the beginning of parish meetings, and most especially during certain moments in the Holy Mass. These are some of the external markers of a charismatic parish. Internal markers include a radical surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all parts of life, a strong adherence to the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the pursuit of strong friendships centered on Christ."[1]

Contents

Origins

Pentecost by El Greco

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal as it exists today is the outgrowth from a retreat held in February 1967 of several faculty members and students from Duquesne University, a Catholic university in Pittsburgh operated by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (a Catholic religious order founded in France in 1703). Many of the students - though not all - claimed to have experienced a movement of God’s Spirit called being “baptized in the Holy Spirit.” The professors had previously been “baptized in the Spirit” a week or two before. Believers felt that "God’s action" was also prepared for in a very human way by the students’ prayerful preparation in reading the Acts of the Apostles and a book entitled The Cross and the Switchblade[2].

What happened quickly spread to graduate students and professors at the University of Notre Dame and others serving in campus ministry in Lansing, Michigan. It continued to spread so that, as of 2003, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal exists in over 230 countries in the world, having touched over 119 million members according to David Barret, head of Global Evangelization Movement in Richmond, VA. Participants in the Renewal also cooperate with non-Catholic Christians in providing a common witness for evangelization, as encouraged by the Catholic Church.[3]

The movement was given a major endorsement by Léon Joseph Cardinal Suenens (1904-1996), a leading cardinal in the Catholic Church and one of four moderators of the Second Vatican Council.[4]

The charismatic element of the Church is still as evident today as it was in the early days of Christianity, although the manifestations may not seem as common or dramatic as in the first few hundred years; this situation may possibly be the result of the Church's becoming more and more established in the world. [5] Nevertheless, the charisms as identified in Saint Paul's writings, especially in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4:11-12, continue to exist and to build up the Church (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, ¶ 2003). The nine charismatic gifts considered extraordinary in character include: faith, expression of knowledge and wisdom, miracles, the gift of tongues and their interpretation, prophecy, discernment of spirits and healing (1 Corinthians 12:8-10; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, ¶ 2003). [6] These gifts are related to the traditional seven gifts of the Holy Spirit described in Isaiah 11:1-2 (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord, as listed in Catechism of the Catholic Church, ¶ 1831). The nine charismatic gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are also related to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.[7] Other references to charisms in the Catechism of the Catholic Church include Sections 688, 768, 799-801, 890, 951, 1508 (charism of healing), 2035.
The continuing fruitfulness of this current of grace is apparent in its very practical theological writings. Ralph Martin, a leading figure for decades in the Renewal in the United States, has provided an introduction to deep prayer in his popular book The Fulfillment of all Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints. Fr. Michael Scanlan, another longtime leader of the Renewal and former President of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, has authored an introduction to the discernment of spirits entitled What Does God Want?: A Practical Guide to Making Decisions.

Reaction from the Church hierarchy

Pope John Paul II

The initial reaction to the movement by the Church hierarchy was cautiously supportive. Some initially supported it as being a harbinger of ecumenism (greater unity of Gospel witness among the different Christian traditions). It was thought that these practices would draw the Catholic Church and Protestant communities closer together in a truly spiritual ecumenism. Today, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal enjoys the strong support of the hierarchy, from the Pope to bishops of dioceses around the world, as an officially recognized ecclesial movement.[8]

Two popes have acknowledged the movement: Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II stated that the movement was integral to the renewal of the entire Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II (as well as then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI) acknowledged good aspects of the movement while urging caution, pointing out members must maintain their link to the Catholic Church.[9]

Pope John Paul II, in particular, made a number of statements on the movement. On November 30, 1990, The Pontifical Council for the Laity promulgated the decree which inaugurated the Catholic Fraternity of Covenant Communities and Fellowships. Brian Smith of Brisbane, elected President of the Executive of the Fraternity, called the declaration the most significant event in the history of the charismatic renewal since the 1975 Holy Year international conference and the acknowledgment it received from Pope Paul VI at that time, saying 'It is the first time that the Renewal has had formal, canonical recognition by the Vatican.' [10]

In March 1992, Pope John Paul II stated

At this moment in the Church's history, the Charismatic Renewal can play a significant role in promoting the much-needed defense of Christian life in societies where secularism and materialism have weakened many people's ability to respond to the Spirit and to discern God's loving call. Your contribution to the re-evangelization of society will be made in the first place by personal witness to the indwelling Spirit and by showing forth His presence through works of holiness and solidarity.[11]

Moreover, during Pentecost 1998, the Pope recognized the essential nature of the charismatic dimension:

"The institutional and charismatic aspects are co-essential as it were to the Church’s constitution. They contribute, although differently, to the life, renewal and sanctification of God’s People. It is from this providential rediscovery of the Church’s charismatic dimension that, before and after the Council, a remarkable pattern of growth has been established for ecclesial movements and new communities."[12]

The Papal Preacher, Rev. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, has written on the topic numerous times since 1986.[13]

See also

Christianity portal

Notes

  1. ^ Christ the King
  2. ^ René Laurentin, Catholic Pentecostalism, (Doubleday & Co. Ltd., 1977) reprinted in Speaking in Tongues: A Guide to Research on Glossalalia, Watson E. Mills, ed. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986), 235.
  3. ^ Ut Unum Sint, para. 40 (May 25, 1995)
  4. ^ Léon Joseph Cardinal Suenens, A New Pentecost?, (Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., 1974)
  5. ^ See Frs. McDonnell & Montague (September 1990). Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries. Michael Glazier Books. But some see a new wave of wonders on the horizon; see, for example, the work of the Cor et Lumen Christi Community based in England at this link.
  6. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2nd ed., 2003 (1997)
  7. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2nd ed., 2447 (1997)
  8. ^ See notes 9, 10, 11, and 12 below.
  9. ^ "Charismatic Renewal - General. Donovan, Colin B. Eternal Word Television Network.". http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/charismatic_renewal.htm. Retrieved 2006-04-18.  
  10. ^ "Fraternity of Covenant Communities: November 30, 1990". http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal3/commadeu.html. Retrieved 2008-08-11.  
  11. ^ "Address of Pope John Paul II to the ICCRO Council: March 12, 1992". http://ccc.garg.com/ccc/articles/John_Paul/John_Paul_001.html. Retrieved 2007-07-14.  
  12. ^ Pentecost Address 1998
  13. ^ "P. Raniero Cantalamessa, ofmcap: Bibliography". http://www.cantalamessa.org/en/libri.php. Retrieved 2007-07-14.  

Further reading

  • Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa (Papal Preacher) (October 2005). Sober Intoxication of the Spirit. Servant Publications. ISBN 0867167130.  
  • Stephen B. Clark (January 1994). Charismatic Spirituality. Servant Books. ISBN 1569553904.  
  • Paul Josef Cardinal Cordes (December 1997). Call to Holiness: Reflections on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Michael Glazier Books. ISBN 0-8146-5887-3.  
  • Fr. Donald L. Gelpi, S.J. (1971). Pentecostalism: A Theological Viewpoint. Paulist Press.  
  • David Mangan (Duquesne student at 1967 retreat) (April 2008). God Loves You and There's Nothing You Can Do About It: Saying Yes to the Holy Spirit. Servant Books. ISBN 9780867168396.  
  • Patti Gallagher Mansfield (Duquesne student at 1967 retreat) (1992). As By A New Pentecost: The Dramatic Beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Procaim! Publications, Lancashire, UK. ISBN 0953027228.  
  • Ralph Martin (December 2006). Hungry for God. Servant Publications. ISBN 0867168013.  
  • Frs. McDonnell & Montague (September 1990). Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries. Michael Glazier Books. ISBN 0814650090.  
  • Fr. George T. Montague, S.M. (Biblical scholar) (February 2008). Holy Spirit Make Your Home in Me: Biblical Meditations on Receiving the Gift of the Spirit. The Word Among Us Press. ISBN 9781593251284.  
  • Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Benedict XVI (October 2007). New Outpourings of the Spirit. Ignatius Press. ISBN 158617181X.  
  • Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR (March 1996). What Does God Want?: A Practical Guide to Making Decisions. Our Sunday Visitor. ISBN 9780879735845.   Includes practical applications of Catholic teaching on discernment of spirits by a prominent charismatic leader in higher education.
  • Dr. Alan Schreck (1995). Your Life in the Holy Spirit: What Every Catholic Needs to Know and Experience. The Word Among Us Press. ISBN 9781593251055.  
  • Léon Joseph Cardinal Suenens (1977). A New Pentecost?. Fount Publishers. ISBN 0006243401.   This book is available for free at the John Carroll University website (see external link below).
  • Fr. Francis A. Sullivan, S.J. (1982). Charisms and Charismatic Renewal: A Biblical and Theological Study. Wipf & Stock. ISBN 1592449417.  

External links








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