The above question has been a perplexing issue for some time. As a Catholic, who has been blessed with these extraordinary charisms, I felt a great need to settle this issue for myself and for others facing the same dilemma. The route that I was inspired to take leads right back to the church Magisterium and the Holy Fathers. So the following documentation will reflect our Holy Father's words along with some of my own inspired insights. It is my hope that this tract will be of use for the building up of the mystical body and our Lord's glory.
I start by quoting from Pope John the XXIII's prayer to the Holy Spirit for the Vatican II Council where he states: "May this Council produce abundant fruits; may the light and the power of the Gospel be more widely diffused in human society." And again he prays: "Renew in our own days your miracles as of a second Pentecost." So here we have the Holy Father demonstrating his need of the Holy Spirit as he prays for the Church and the world.
And to give another example of our radical need for the Holy Spirit, I quote Pope John Paul II who proclaims: "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 call. Your contribution to the re-evangelization of society will be made in the first place by personal witness to the indwelling Spirit and the showing forth of His Presence through works of holiness and solidarity."
So here we have two popes confirming the absolute need in our times for God's power present in the Holy Spirit. And both popes are responding to our Lord's words in John 14:16, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth." In John 16:13, our Lord declares, "But when He comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming."
At this point, I'd like to set the premise, that the Holy Spirit is guiding and initiating the actions of both popes in their respective times. And it is the person of the Holy Spirit, Who is the whole focal point of times, as promised by our Lord Jesus. And both Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II declared the need of the Holy Spirit in our day.
And the Holy Spirit initiated the work of the Vatican II Council through Pope John XXIII, and it is the same Spirit speaking through John Paul II as he addressed the International Charismatic Renewal Office (ICCRO).
So here I ask the reader to keep these truths in mind and allow the same Spirit to speak to your hearts through our Holy Father's words. In the following paragraphs, I will attempt to show the connection of Pope John XXIII's prayer to the Holy Spirit for the Vatican II Council and the charismatic renewal, by quoting John Paul II and allowing the Holy Father to draw those conclusions for us.
The following quote is taken from the English Edition of the L'Osservatore Romano, in which the Pope addresses the leaders of the Council of the International Charismatic Renewal Office (ICCRO) on March 14, 1992:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
"In the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit, I welcome the Council of the
International Charismatic Renewal Office. As you celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, I
willingly join you in giving praise to God for the many fruits which it
has borne in the life of the Church. The emergence of the Renewal
following the Second Vatican Council was a particular gift of the Holy
Spirit to the Church."
Here then out the mouth of Peter, we have the Holy Father confirming the prophetic message of John XXIII's prayer that the Spirit come upon the Church again, calling the Renewal, a gift of the Holy Spirit, which emerged from the work of the Vatican II Council and today is confirmed by our Pope John Paul II. And as mentioned before, the Holy Father connects the two concepts for us. To further illustrate this concept, I'll present to you some more quotes from Pope John Paul II from his pastoral Letter in Christifideles Laici, where he again makes the connection of the Vatican II Council to the present day outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
In John Paul II's words:
"In our times the Church after Vatican II witnessed the outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost and has come to a more lively awareness of her missionary nature and has listened again to the voice of her Lord, who sends her forth into the world as the universal sacrament of salvation."
And again he writes: "The Second Vatican Council speaks to the ministries and charisms as gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are given for the building up of the Body of Christ and for its mission of salvation in the world. Indeed, the Church is directed and guided by the Holy Spirit, who lavishes diverse hierarchical and charismatic gifts on all the baptized calling them to be in an individual way, active and co-responsible." And here he specifically refers to I Corinthians 12:7-10 and 12:4-6.
From these two paragraphs taken from the Pope's pastoral exhortation from Christifideles Laici, the Holy Father plainly points out the connection of the Vatican II Council and the outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost. And as the Holy Father stated in the opening paragraphs of how the "Charismatic Renewal can play a significant role." So here we can clearly conclude that the Charismatic Renewal truly is a significant part of this outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost.
So is the Charismatic Renewal Catholic? Yes, it is! Our Holy Father, guided by the Holy Spirit affirms it and calls it Catholic. While reminding us that our church is directed and guided by the Holy Spirit, as Pope and the Head of the Church, he is calling us to exercise the ordinary and extraordinary charisms of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of souls.
As one of my final quotes, I would like to include one taken from the Bishop's 1984 Pastoral Statement on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, in which the Holy Father addresses priests.
"The priest, for his part, cannot exercise his service on behalf of the Renewal unless and until he adopts a welcoming attitude toward it, based on the desire we share with every Christian by baptism to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit."
So let us take this exhortation for ourselves to have a welcoming attitude toward the Charismatic Renewal and receive the fullness of God's Spirit. And quoting in Ephesians 3:16-19, "[T]hat he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
So in conclusion, it is my prayer that the words of the Holy Father be the instrument to convince Catholics, that, "Yes!" the Charismatic Renewal is Catholic. I pray this helps to dispel any doubt about the Renewal, and I hope the Holy Spirit touches hearts. And here, I'd like to close with the Holy Father's words:
"A new state of affairs today both in the Church, as well as the social, economic, political, and cultural life, call with a particular urgency for the action of the lay faithful. If lack of commitment is always unacceptable, the present time renders it even more so. It is not permissible for anyone to remain so."
So in union with our Holy Father and united to the heart of Mary, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, let us go out to live, proclaim, and teach all nations for the glory of God: that Jesus is Lord!
Printed in the December 1996 issue of the "Living Water." Published for the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of San Jose, California. Permission to copy is granted, as long as proper credit is given.
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