Serving The Lord Jesus Christ * Serving The Roman Catholic Church * Serving The Bishop Of The Diocese Of Rockford, Illinois
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Serving The Lord Jesus Christ * Serving The Roman Catholic Church * Serving The Bishop Of The Diocese Of Rockford, Illinois
Here are a few excerpts from numerous statements made by leaders in the Catholic Church.
March 1984
I – Pastoral Observations
1. As a movement within the Church, the charismatic renewal is rooted in the witness of the gospel tradition: Jesus is Lord by the power of the Spirit to the glory of the Father
Papal Encouragement
2. The Episcopal Committee endeavors to assist each bishop in his pastoral responsibility “not to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good” (1 Tm 5:19; Lumen Gentium 12) Since our statements about the charismatic renewal in 1969 and 1975, we note with joy that two popes have spoken encouragingly about it. Pope Paul VI said: “How would it be possible that this ‘spiritual renewal’ not be a chance for the Church and the world?” (Address of May 19, 1975). Pope John Paul II said that he sees the future of the Church lying in spiritual renewal movements and groups. Speaking specifically of the charismatic renewal, he said he made his own the words of St. Paul to the Philippians: “I give thanks to God every time I think of you” (Phil 1:3). Referring to the words of Pope Paul VI concerning what the renewal offers for the Church and the world, John Paul II said that the six years which have passed since his predecessor uttered those words “have borne out the hope that inspired his vision” (May 7, 1981). The Pope has himself taken the initiative, both privately and publicly, to meet with leader of the charismatic renewal. In doing so he has provided a mode. Bishops and pastors who exercise the same kind of initiative find such meetings with leaders in the renewal fruitful for the local Church.
The Experience of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts
7. Past statements of the United States bishops’ committees, as well as statements of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, have commended the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for the fruit of holiness and good works born in the lives of those who become involved in this movement. These people say the transformation in their lives is a result of repentance, turning to Jesus Christ and receiving an influx of the Holy Spirit. They generally term this experience of the Holy Spirit being baptized in the Holy Spirit, and say it usually results in the receiving of such spiritual gifts as prayer in tongues, prophecy and healing. In fact it must be recognized that these spiritual realities do occur in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, however they may be labeled or theologically analyzed. As the United States Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine observed in 1969, “It would be difficult to inhibit the working of the Spirit which manifested itself so abundantly in the early Church.” We should be grateful to God for pouring out in our time those gifts and graces with which he blessed the Church at its very beginning.
Mature Lay Life
8. The charismatic renewal is a movement which seeks to be completely open to the Holy Spirit as it contributes to the ongoing effort to renew the whole Church. Though the Catholic charismatic renewal has influenced many bishops, priests and religious personally, it has contributed in an even more profound way to the realization of the role of the laity in the mission of the Church. From its beginnings on university campuses, to the formation of thousands of parish prayer groups, it has been largely led, taught, discerned and participated in by lay people. In a way not known in recent history, lay men and women are engaged in evangelization and the proclamation of the Lordship of Jesus, in programs of spiritual formation and spiritual direction. Clearly the charismatic renewal has as its goal the transformation of all the members of the People of God.
Renewal of Family
10. All renewal begins at the source of the Church’s life. In that context the charismatic renewal lays particular stress on personal conversion, a gift which quickly touches relationships, primarily the family.
Parish Prayer Groups
12. Because the charismatic renewal is at the heart of the Church, it also has a role in parish renewal. As one of many forms of new yeast giving leaven tot he whole mass, the prayer group, parochial and inter-parochial, has contributed significantly to the revitalization of parish life in the areas of liturgy, music, evangelization, Scripture, prayer and youth outreach. It also provides the kind of Christian environment in which many are hearing the call of the Lord to serve the Church as servant leaders. The broad charismatic renewal sees itself as intimately bound to diocesan and parish goals and subject to the authority of the diocesan bishop.
Conclusion: Commendation of the Charismatic Renewal
39. We wish those in the charismatic renewal to know that we make our own the view of Yves Congar: “The charismatic renewal is a grace for the Church.” We assure those in the charismatic renewal of the support they enjoy from the bishops of the United States, and we encourage them in their efforts to renew the life of the Church.
… We are gathered here, believers from 120 countries in the world, to celebrate the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, that took the initiative fifty years ago and gave rise to … an institution? No. An organization? No. To a current of grace, to the current of grace of Catholic Charismatic Renewal. A work that was born … Catholic? No. It was born ecumenical! It was born ecumenical because it is the Holy Spirit that creates unity and the same Holy Spirit that gave the inspiration for it to be thus! It is important to read the works of Cardinal Suenens on this: it is very important!
Thank you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, for what you have given the Church in these fifty years! The Church counts on you, on your fidelity to the Spirit, on your willingness to serve and your witness of lives transformed by the Holy Spirit!
Share with all in the Church the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord ceaselessly, walk together with Christians of different Churches and Christian communities in prayer and in action for those most in need. Serve the poorest and the sick, this is what the Church and the Pope expect of you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, but from all of you: all, all of you who have entered in this current of grace! Thank you.”
… This is your path: evangelization, spiritual ecumenism, caring for the poor and needy, and welcoming the marginalized. And all of it is based on worship! The foundation of the renewal is worshiping God!
When I think of charismatics, I think of the Church herself, but in a particular way: I think of a great orchestra, where all the instruments and voices are different from one another, yet all are needed to create the harmony of the music. Saint Paul speaks of this in the twelfth chapter of the First Letter to the Corinthians. As in an orchestra, no one in the renewal can think of himself or herself as being more important or greater than the others, please!
Yes, you need organization, but never lose the grace of letting God be God! “Yet there is no greater freedom than that of allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, renouncing the attempt to plan and control everything to the last detail, and instead letting him enlighten, guide, and direct us, leading us wherever he wills. The Holy Spirit knows well what is needed in every time and place. This is what it means to be mysteriously fruitful.” (Evangeli Gaudium, 280).
… We are gathered here, believers from 120 countries in the world, to celebrate the sovereign work of the Holy spirit in the Church, that took the initiative fifty years ago and gave rise to … an institution? No. An organization? No. To a current of grace, to the current of grace of Catholic Charismatic Renewal. A work that was born … Catholic? No. It was born ecumenical! It was born ecumenical because it is the Holy Spirit that creates unity and the same Holy Spirit that gave the inspiration for it to be thus! It is important to read the works of Cardinal Suenens on this: it is very important!
Thank you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, for what you have given the Church in these fifty years! The Church counts on you, on your fidelity to the Spirit, on your willingness to serve and your witness of lives transformed by the Holy Spirit!
Share with all in the Church the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord ceaselessly, walk together with Christians of different Churches and Christian communities in prayer and in action for those most in need. Serve the poorest and the sick, this is what the Church and the Pope expect of you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, but from all of you, all, all of you who have entered in this current of grace! Thank you.”
Delivered on the Eve of Pentecost to the Italian Charismatic Renewal
“On the solemnity of Pentecost, the whole Church raises unanimously this song, “Veni, Creator, Spiritus!” The Mystical Body of Christ, spread throughout the world, invokes the Spirit from whom it receives life, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Thanks to the Charismatic Movement, many Christians have rediscovered Pentecost as a living and present reality in their daily life. I desire that the spirituality of Pentecost be spread in the Church, as a renewed thrust of prayer, holiness, communion and proclamation. “Today’s celebration reminds me of the memorable meeting with the ecclesial movements and the new communities of the vigil of Pentecost six years ago. It was an extraordinary manifestation of the unity of the Church, in the richness and variety of charisma, which the Holy Spirit infuses in abundance. I energetically repeat what I said on the occasion. The ecclesial movements and the new communities are a “providential answer, inspired by the Holy Spirit given the present need of new evangelization fo which “mature Christian personalities” and strong Christian communities are needed. “For this reason, I also say to you, Open yourselves with docility to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Receive with gratitude and obedience the charism that the Spirit does not cease to offer. Do not forget that all charisma are given for the common good, that is, for the benefit of the whole Church!” Among us with raised hands, is praying the Virgin, Mother of Christ and the Church. Together with her, let us implore and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.”
“Come, Holy Spirit, come and renew the face of the earth! Come with your seven gifts! Come, Spirit of Life, Spirit of Communion and Love! The Church and the world need you. Come, Holy Spirit, and make ever more fruitful the charisms you have bestowed on us. Give new strength and missionary zeal to these sons and daughters of yours who have gathered here. Open their hearts; renew their Christian commitment to the world. Make them courageous messengers of the Gospel, witnesses to the risen Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Saviour of man. Strengthen their love and their fidelity to the Church.”
From the very beginning of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, I have considered the movement as a great spiritual resource for the church. Within the Charismatic Renewal, the Catholic Fraternity has a specific mission, recognized by the Holy See. One of the objectives stated in your statutes is to safeguard the Catholic identity of the charismatic communities and to encourage them always to maintain a close link with the Bishops and the Roman Pontiff. To help people to have a strong sense of their membership in the Church is especially important in times such as ours, when confusion and relativism abound.
You belong to an ecclesial movement. The word “ecclesial” here is more than merely decorative. It implies a precise task of Christian formation, and involves a deep convergence of faith and life. The enthusiastic faith, which enlivens your communities, is a great enrichment, but it is not enough. It must be accompanied by a Christian formation, which is solid, comprehensive and faithful to the Church’s Magisterium: a formation based upon a life of prayer, upon listening to the Word of God, and upon worthy reception of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist. To mature in faith, we have to grow in knowledge of its truths. If this does not happen, there is a danger of superficiality, extreme subjectivism and illusion.
The new Catechism of the Catholic Church should become for every Christian – and therefore for every community of the Renewal a constant reference-point. Again and again, you must also assess yourselves in the light of the “criteria of ecclesial character” which I set out in the Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici (n. 30). As an ecclesial movement, one of your distinguishing marks should be to sentire cum Ecclesia- to live in filial obedience to the Church’s Magisterium, to the Pastors, and to the Successor of Peter, and with them to build the communion of the whole body.
The motto of the Eighth International Meeting of the Catholic Fraternity looks to the words of Christ: “I have come to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Lk 12:49). In the context of the Great Jubilee of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, these words resound with all their force. The Son of God made man has brought to us the fire of love and the truth that saves. At the approach of the new millennium, the Church hears the call, the urgent summons of the Master to an ever greater commitment to mission: “the grain is ripe, the harvest has come” (Mk 4:29). You will doubtless discuss this during your meeting. Allow yourselves therefore to be awarded by the Holy Spirit, who is always the prime agent of evangelization and of mission.
I accompany your undertakings with my prayers, and I sincerely hope that this meeting, being held in circumstances so charged with meaning, will bear abundant spiritual fruit for the entire Catholic Charismatic Renewal. May it be a milestone on the journey of your spiritual preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. To all of you, to your communities and to your loved ones, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
(Pope John Paul II’s message condensed from his June 1, 1998 meeting with the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships at the Vatican as reported in L’Osservatore Romano, English Edition.)
General Audience March 9, 1994
The Holy Spirit, the giver of every gift and the main principle of the Church’s vitality, does not only work through the sacraments. According to St. Paul, he who distributes to each his own gifts as he wills (1 Cor. 12:11), pours out into the People of God a great wealth of graces both for prayer and contemplation and for action.
They are charisms: lay people receive them too, especially in relation to their mission in the Church and society. The Second Vatican Council stated this in connection with St. Paul: “The Holy Spirit 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, as it is written (in St. Paul): ‘the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit.’ (1 Cor. 12.7)
St. Paul highlighted the multiplicity and variety of charisms in the early Church: some are extraordinary, such as healings, the gift of prophecy or that of tongues; others are simpler, given for for the ordinary fulfillment of the tasks assigned in the community.
As a result of Paul’s text, charisms are often thought of as extraordinary gifts, which primarily marked the beginning of the life of the Church. Vatican Council II called attention to charisms in their quality as gifts belonging to the ordinary life of the Church and not necessarily having and extraordinary or miraculous nature. In addition, it should be kept in mind that the primary or principle aim of many charisms is not the personal sanctification of those who receive them, but the service of others and the welfare of the Church… in that it concerns the growth of Christ’s Mystical Body.
As St. Paul told us and the Council repeated, these charisms result from the free choice and gift of the Holy Spirit. In a special way the Triune God shows his sovereign power in the gifts. This power is not subject to any antecedent rule, to any particular discipline or to a plan of interventions established once and for all. According to St. Paul, he distributes his gifts to each “as he wills” (1 Cor. 12:11) It is an eternal will of love, whose freedom and gratuitousness is revealed in the action carried out by the Holy Spirit–Gift in the economy of salvation. Through this sovereign freedom and gratuitousness, charisms are also give to the laity, as the Church’s history shows.
We cannot but admire the great wealth of gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit on lay people as members of the Church in our age as well. Each of them has the necessary ability to carry out the tasks to which he is called for the welfare of the Christian people, and the work’s salvation, if he is open, docile, and faithful to the Holy Spirit’s action.
Diversity and unity of charisms: Need to recognize and discern them
However, we must also turn our attention to another aspect of St. Paul’s teaching and that of the Church, an aspect that applies to every type of ministry and to charisms: their diversity and variety cannot harm unity. “There are different gifts but the same Spirit; there are different ministries but the same Lord.” (1 Cor. 12:4-5)
Paul asked that these differences be respected because not everyone can expect to carry out the same role contrary to God’s plan and the Spirit’s gift and contrary to the most elementary laws of any social structure. However, the Apostle equally stressed the need for unity, which itself answers a sociological demand, but which in the christian community should even more be a reflection of the divine unity. One Spirit, One Lord. Thus, one Church!
At the beginning of the Christian era extraordinary things were accomplished under the influence of charisms, both extraordinary ones and those which could be called little, humble, everyday charisms. This has always been the case in the Church and is so in our era as well, generally in a hidden way, but sometimes in a striking way, when God desires it for the good of his Church.
In our day, as in the past, a great number of lay people have contributed to the Church’s spiritual and pastoral growth. We can say that today too there are many lay people who, because of their charisms, work as good, genuine witnesses of faith and love… out of fidelity to a holy vocation, who are involved in serving the common good, in establishing justice, in improving the living conditions of the poor and needy, in taking care of the disabled, in welcoming refugees and in achieving peace throughout the world.
In the community life and pastoral practice of the Church, charisms must be recognized but also discerned, as the Synod Fathers recalled in 1987.
Certainly, the Spirit blows where he wills; one can never expect to impose rules and conditions on him. The Christian community, though, has the right to be informed by its Pastors about the authenticity of charisms and the reliability of those who claim to have received them. The Council recalled the need for prudence in this area, especially when it regards extraordinary charisms.
The Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici also stressed the “no charism dispenses a person from reference and submission to the Pastors of the Church.” These norms of prudence are easily understandable and apply to all, both clerics and lay people.
That having been said, we would like to repeat with the Council and the Exhortation cited above the “charisms should be received in gratitude both on the part of the one who receives them, and also on the part of the entire Church.” For these charisms there arises “for each of the faithful the right and duty of exercising them for the good of men and for building up the Church.”
Charisms
799
Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.
800
Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.(1 Cor. 13)
801
It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church’s shepherds. “Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good,” (LG 12; 1 Thes 5:12, 19-21;) so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together “for the common good.” (1 Cor. 12:7)
Grace
2003
Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning “favor,” “gratuitous gift,” “benefit.” Whatever their character – sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues – charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church. (1 Cor. 12)
(From the Diocese of Orlando Catholic Charismatic Renewal Center. Used with permission)
The pope and bishops who gathered at Vatican Council II(1961-65) laid a foundation upon which this most recent charismatic renewal is built. It is there that we find Pope John XXIII’s prayer for a new Pentecost: Renew your wonders in our time, as though for a new Pentecost, and grant that the holy Church, preserving unanimous and continuous prayer, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and also under the guidance of Saint Peter, may increase the reign of the Divine Savior, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen.
Vatican II’s Constitution on the Church points to the presence of charisms in movements like the charismatic renewal when it says,
[The Holy Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them able and ready to undertake the various tasks or offices advantageous for the renewal and upbuilding of the Church… These charismatic gifts, whether they be the most outstanding or the more simple and widely defused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, for they are exceedingly suitable and useful for the needs of the Church (No. 13).
In the United States the American Catholic Bishops have issued several statements. The Bishops Committee on Doctrine wrote in 1969 that theologically the movement has legitimate reasons of existence. It has a strong biblical basis. It would be difficult to inhibit the working of the Spirit which manifested itself so abundantly in the early Church. In 1975 the American bishops published another statement that quoted scriptural directives: To the members of the movement, then, to pastors and to all the faithful in Christ, we commend the words of Scripture which we take as our own guiding light: Do not stifle the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test everything; retain what is good. Avoid any semblance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22). We encourage those who already belong and we support the positive and desirable directions of the charismatic renewal.
The Bishops Ad Hoc Liaison Committee with the renewal issued still another Pastoral Statement on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1984. We especially rejoice in the efforts to foster the pursuit of holiness, to encourage Catholics to a fuller participation in the Mass and the sacraments, to develop ministries to serve the parish and local Church, to foster ecumenical bonds of unity with other
When ten thousand Catholic charismatics from countries all over the world gathered for the ninth international conference on the renewal in 1975, Pope Paul VI greeted them with these words: The Church and the world need more than ever that the miracle of Pentecost should continue in history…. Nothing is more necessary to this increasingly secularized world than the witness of this spiritual renewal that we see the Holy Spirit evoking…. How could this spiritual renewal not be good fortune for the Church and the world .
Pope Paul VI had also appointed Cardinal Leon-Joseph Suenens of Belgium as a guide to the worldwide charismatic renewal. Years later, when Cardinal Suenens retired, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Paul Cordes of the Pontifical Council for the Laity to this position.
Pope John Paul II has continuously recognized the importance of the charismatic renewal. In 1979, he spoke to the council of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service meeting in Rome: I am convinced that this movement is a sign of the Spirit’s action.., a very important component in the total renewal of the Church.
Bishop Paul Cordes addressed the silver anniversary conference on the Catholic charismatic renewal, on behalf of the Vatican, at Pittsburgh in 1992. His talk, The Call to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal from the Church Universal, issued two challenges to participants. The first challenge was to foster the renewal of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist): The Charismatic Renewal has a great contribution to make in the years ahead to the proper understanding and renewal of the sacraments of Christian Initiation so that all God’s people may one day experience a greater fullness of life in Christ by being as you call it, Baptized in the Holy Spirit.
The second challenge was to embrace the Church’s mission of evangelization to both de-Christianized and unevangelized areas of the world: This re-evangelization and new missionary endeavor cannot take place without a renewed fervor of love for Christ, worship of the Father in Spirit and truth, and empowerment by the Holy Spirit such as the Charismatic Renewal has helped so many millions to live.
Quoting Pope John Paul II, he continued: 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.We are gathered here, believers from 120 countries in the world, to celebrate the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, that took the initiative fifty years ago and gave rise to … an institution? No. An organization? No. To a current of grace, to the current of grace of Catholic Charismatic Renewal. A work that was born … Catholic? No. It was born ecumenical! It was born ecumenical because it is the Holy Spirit that creates unity and the same Holy Spirit that gave the inspiration for it to be thus! It is important to read the works of Cardinal Suenens on this: it is very important!
Thank you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, for what you have given the Church in these fifty years! The Church counts on you, on your fidelity to the Spirit, on your willingness to serve and your witness of lives transformed by the Holy Spirit!
Share with all in the Church the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord ceaselessly, walk together with Christians of different Churches and Christian communities in prayer and in action for those most in need. Serve the poorest and the sick, this is what the Church and the Pope expect of you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, but from all of you: all, all of you who have entered in this current of grace! Thank you.