Catholic Charismatic Renewal

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The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church emphasizing the release of more of the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit in a continuing and New Pentecost for all Catholics; the aim is to have the Renewal become part of the experience of all Catholics and not simply remain the experience of just one group or segment of Catholics. Worship services are characterized by a high energy Mass, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy and sometimes glossolalia, or "speaking in tongues." Some supporters within this movement see it as 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 all Christians believe existed somehow in the early Church as described in the Bible) should still be practiced today.

A Catholic church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Christ the King, 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."

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[edit] Origins

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. Many of the students - though not all - claimed having 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. 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[1].

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.

The Second Vatican Council stated in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium:"It is not only through the sacraments and the ministrations of the Church that the Holy Spirit makes holy the people, leads them and enriches them with his virtues.... He also distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts he makes them fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church."

The movement was given a major endorsement by Léon Joseph Cardinal Suenens, a leading cardinal in the Catholic Church.[2]

The charismatic element of the Church is still as evident today as it was in the early days of Christianity, albeit the manifestations may not seem as dramatic as in the first few hundred years. This is thought to be the result of the Church becoming more and more established in the world, and personal sanctification becoming more prevalent. Nevertheless, the charisms as identified in Saint Paul's writings, especially Romans and Corinthians, are as true today as ever. Traditionally they are: faith, expression of knowledge and wisdom, the gift of tongues and their interpretation, prophecy, discernment of spirits and healing. On a lower level, they have expression in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.[3]

[edit] Reaction from the Church hierarchy

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.

Three popes have acknowledged the movement: Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI. Pope John Paul II stated that the movement was integral to the renewal of the entire Catholic Church. Both Popes Paul and Benedict, while acknowledging the good aspects of the movement, at the same time urge caution to its members to maintain their link to the Catholic Church.[4]

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."[5]

The Apostolic Preacher, Rev. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, has written on the topic numerous times since 1986.[6]

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Léon Joseph Cardinal Suenens, A New Pentecost?, (Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., 1974)
  3. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2nd ed., 2447 (1997)
  4. ^ Charismatic Renewal - General. Donovan, Colin B. Eternal Word Television Network.. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
  5. ^ Address of Pope John Paul II to the ICCRO Council: March 12, 1992. Retrieved on 2007-07-14.
  6. ^ P. Raniero Cantalamessa, ofmcap: Bibliography. Retrieved on 2007-07-14.

[edit] Books

  • 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. 
  • Kristina Cooper (2001). The Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Catholic Truth Society. ISBN 1-86082-114-6. 
  • Paul Josef Cardinal Cordes (December 1997). Call to Holiness: Reflections on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Michael Glazier Books. ISBN 0-8146-5887-3. 
  • 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. 
  • Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Benedict XVI (October 2007). New Outpourings of the Spirit. Ignatius Press. ISBN 158617181X. 
  • 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. Wipf & Stock. ISBN 1592449417. 
  • Michael Tigue (2006). Charismatic Stations of the Cross. BMG Publishing. ISBN 0006243401.  This book is available. (see external link below). (Note: this source is not by a known, scholarly authority on the topic.)

[edit] External links