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Charismatic Catholics |
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POST VATICAN II
In an ecumenical
response to the neo-pentecostal movement that spread in
evangelical and liberal circles, a "baptism in the Holy Spirit" including
speaking in tongues, was evidenced at a Roman Catholic retreat at Duquesne
University in 1967. It spread first to South Bend, then Ann Arbor, then
over the world.
At first the movement was viewed with extreme caution by Roman Catholic
leaders, but it was demonstrated that Catholics in the charismatic movement
received a greater appreciation for the Mass,
Mary,
and
the Sacraments, more support was received from the Hierarchy.
Charismatic meetings exist in almost every country. There are
numerous charismatic bishops, including one Cardinal,
Leo Suenens of
Belgium.
Pope Paul VI, and later John Paul II
commissioned Cardinal Suenens to
"guide the evolution of the Catholic charismatic renewal, so that it enters
fully into the heart of the Church" (RAYMA, Roman Catholic Charismatic
magazine, May/June, 1979).
The pope has acclaimed the charismatic movement, and although there is
constant vigilance that the movement's freedom will not overflow the
sacramental boundaries of Rome, it is in great favor in the Catholic Church
today.
It promotes ecumenism and lay involvement, and stifles
evangelization of Roman Catholics by Protestant groups. Even Evangelicals
can be confused in their outreach to Catholics because of the apparent
spirituality of the charismatic Catholics.
Dr. Philip Potter, while general secretary of the Worls Council of Churches, stated, "the
Charismatic renewal provides a link between the churches of the
Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church, (and) the conservative
evangelicals."
From Church of the Transfiguration, 4325 Jarvis Ave., San Jose, CA. "The
initiation into this new experience with God is referred to as being
`baptized in the Holy Spirit.' The following effects have been experienced:
A greater appreciation for the Mass and sacraments. . ."
From CHARISMATIC RENEWAL by Jim Scully (Dove Publications, Pecos, NM). On
May 19, 1975, extraordinary events took place in St. Peter's Basilica in
Rome. With the special permission of Pope Paul, Cardinal Josef Suenens,
Primate of Belgium, 12 bishops and 700 priest - all leaders in charismatic
renewal - celebrated Mass at the high altar, normally reserved for the Pope
alone. ...To Pentecostal spokesman and evangelist David du Plessis, it was
"the greatest charismatic and ecumenical event in ecclesiastical history."
From a message by John Bertolucci, Lakeview, NY, 8/10/75. "Now get the
scene. By one in the morning this fallen-away Catholic had made his
confession to a Catholic priest, had invited the Lord into his life through
a Southern Baptist minister, is being counseled by an Episcopalian priest
and Don (Riling, an Assembly of God minister) is laying on hands for the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The next Sunday the man returned to the
sacraments of the Church."
ECUMENICAL CHARISMATIC RENEWAL CONFERENCE, Kansas City, MO
7/20-24/77.
Chairman, Kevin Ranaghan (RC layman). Planning committee includes Lutheran,
Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic, Methodist, Orthodox. Included are Rev.
Larry Christensen, Lutheran; Dr. David Stern, Jews for Jesus; Dr. Vinson
Synan, Pentecostal Holiness Church. Among prominent guests: Dr. David
duPlessis, Cardinal Leo Suenens, Ruth Carter Stapleton, Ralph Martin (R.C.
lay leader of Word of God, Ann Arbor, MI), Maria von Trapp, Pat Robertson,
Dr. J. Rodney Williams (Melodyland, Anaheim, CA) and Catherine Marshall.
From JESUS '79 (June 2 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA). "Hear David
duPlessis, Paul Crouch, Dr. Holland London, Fr. William Spohn, S.J., Fr.
Donald Gephi, S.J."
A recognized theologian of the RC charismatic renewal, Priest O'Connor,
Notre Dame, in THE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
"Rebaptism
is unacceptable because at baptism one is reborn and made a
member of the Church. Rebaptism is anathema for a Catholic. To undergo
believers' baptism is heretical or, at the very least, a scandal. No
one can receive the knowledge
that he is saved. No one can
have the certitude about his ultimate salvation. This is
unscriptural and in contradiction with a firm and unanimous
Catholic tradition, and with the formal teachings of the
Council of Trent."
Killion McConnell in DIALOGUE concludes, "Catholic Pentecostals tend to go
back and cultivate all the avenues to God that they had abandoned: Rosary,
visits to the Blessed Sacrament,
devotion to Mary,
frequent confession,
daily Mass and Communion.
At Notre Dame, Cardinal Leo Suenens said, "Let me share with you one
secret, how to receive the Holy Spirit in the best way. The secret of our
unity with the Holy Spirit is our unity with Mary, the Mother of God." At
these words, the entire 25,000 rose to their feet for a long period of
applause and praise.
CATHOLIC JOURNALS
From FLORIDA CATHOLIC, 12/14,21/79. "What must I know, as a Catholic, if I
go to a Catholic charismatic meeting? What things should I look for? A
devotion to the Mother of God, rich Eucharistic spirituality, respect for
the priesthood, support for the Church in harmony, he or she is obedient to
the magisterium,
adheres to doctrine. Especially, that person has
a deep devotion to Mary and his prayer life centers around the Eucharist.
One cannot be a good charismatic and a bad Catholic."
From OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, 7/3/83. "At the National Charismatic Conference,
we were told by the third highest ranking member of the Pentecostal
Holiness Church that God does not want Catholics to leave their Church. We
were told often that the charismatic movement must be rooted in the Church
and that we must rely not only on the Bible,
but also on tradition,
the sacraments, and the teachings of the Pope. We were told that the
Mass is the center and summit of our whole lives. We were told that the
Church has not abandoned her devotion and love for Mary, and that we must
accept her joyfully into our lives. A special letter from the Pope for the
occasion shows that, in its true form, the charismatic renewal is meant to
make us stronger Catholics."
From CHARISMA, February 1987, A NEW PENTECOST IN ROME, written by Richard
Lovelace, Professor at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. "Some years ago
Derek Prince was speaking at a retreat for charismatic leaders. Suddenly
Kevin Ranaghan appeared with a note. Prince registered shock. `It has been
announced that the pope has been shot.'
"For the next hour the group intereceded for the pope. I was struck by
the intensity of the prayer in a mainly Protestant gathering.
"Increasingly, Catholics and Protestants are working at a common agenda.
And perhaps Catholics are striking closer than Protestants to the original
evangelical goal of evangelizing the world and transforming its structures.
The church leaped forward past centuries of anti-Protestant reaction to
embrace Protestant goals: evangelistic renewal and lay leadership; worship
in the vernacular; Bible study for all; freedom of religion."
From CHARISCENTER USA, Sept/Oct 1989, "From May 7-14, 1989, a group of one
hundred Pentecostal/charismatic leaders met in an upper room in the Notre
Dame center outside the ancient walls of Jerusalem in a prayer vigil for
world evangelization. The ultimate goal is for the world to have a
Christian majority by the end of the century. Participants came from all of
the streams of the charismatic movement, including Roman Catholics,
Protestants, Pentecostals and nondenominationals. The vigil was led by an
executive committee consisting of Larry Christianson (Lutheran), Tom
Forrest (Catholic), Michael Harper (Anglican), Bob McAlistar
(nondenominational) and Vinson Synan (Pentecostal Holiness)."
From NEW COVENANT November 1990 Report on Indianapolis 1990. "Roman
Catholics were by far the largest group at the Congress."
From A CATHOLIC SURVIVAL GUIDE, NEW COVENANT, February 1991 "If the
Eucharist were just a symbol, it wouldn't matter so much. But we Catholic
Christians follow an almost 2,000-year-old tradition that the Eucharist is
truly the body and blood of Christ. I would die for my belief in the real
presence of Jesus Christ in the bread of life and the cup of salvation...
Our devotion to Mary must be expressed in some practical way, the most
common being the Rosary..."
From CATHOLIC TRENDS, May 25, 1991. "A Catholic charismatic community
linked with the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, has, under
orders by Bishop Albert Ottenweller of Steubenville, severed its
relationship with Sword of the Spirit, a non-denominational evangelical
organization founded in 1982 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Ottenweller said members
told him that (Sword of the Spirit) was infected with "elitist" attitudes,
"unhealthy secrecy," invasions of personal and family privacy and
"fundamentalist" views.
SECULAR JOURNALS
From Sydney, Australia MORNING HERALD, 8/15/70. "Those Catholics involved
in charismatic renewal in Sydney, following the pattern of Catholic
Pentecostals in America, have not rejected the institution of the church as
a source of grace and revelation. Many Catholics are suspicious of a
Pentecostal movement, but the Sydney movement has certainly presented no
threat to the Church; the meetings in St. Michael's have the approval of
the Cardinal."
George Cornell, AP religious editor, reported the RC charismatic gathering
at Notre Dame in 1973 and wrote, "The cocktail lounge of the inn was
crowded in the evening with Catholic Pentecostals, sipping beer and
whiskey, talking animately about the presence of God with them, and
occasionally joining in a song."
RELIGIOUS JOURNALS
James Hill in ETERNITY states, "It is especially disturbing to Protestant
evangelicals to find Mary honored at times as Mediatrix,
and to hear of
cases when tongues are interpreted as `Hail Mary.
'"
From Editorial of CHRISTIANITY TODAY, 10/25/81. "Nothing separated us from
our Roman Catholic charismatic brothers as we sat together at dinner
sharing the good things of Christ. Rarely have we sensed such a oneness in
Christ, even with other evangelicals."
Thus begins the editorial, and, having "sensed" a oneness in Christ, it
goes on in the following sub-headings:
"Evangelicals and Roman Catholics Have Much in Common." These things are
"common loyalty to the great ecumenical creeds
of the ancient church...an
increasing number of Catholics (recognizing) the essential truth of those
biblical themes to which the Reformers in their own way sought to bear
witness...the necessity of a personal incorporation into Christ...one
quarter of all Roman Catholics claim to be born again, and 20 percent
insist that their only hope for heaven...is to be found through faith
in
Jesus Christ..."
Then we are told "Evangelicals Need to Learn from Roman Catholics".
Cited are reverence, nature of worship, liturgy, ecclesiology, divine
authority.
The matter is summed up in a final section, "The Value of
Evangelical/Roman Catholic Dialogue." We are told "Evangelicals have much
to gain by fellowship with evangelical Roman Catholics." (See Review of CRI's article"Evangelical Catholics"
for Fundamentalist answer. See Definition Chart to help
you understand use of "evangelical" terminologies by Catholics.
CHRISTIAN COMMENT
Excerpts from CAN VISION 2000 SEE THE DEEP END by Amos Gottleib. Vision
2000 is an ecumenical strategy fathered by the Lausanne II Committee for
World Evangelization which held a conference in Manila in July 1989.
Official observers and special guests at this conference came from the
Vatican and from the World Council of Churches. Dr. Leighton Ford was
questioned about Roman Catholic involvement, and replied that Lausanne II's
purpose was "not to draw as narrow a circle, but as wide a circle as
possible."
A workshop dealing with evangelical
/Roman Catholic dialog was conducted;
"Evangelization 2000," which is the Catholic program of worldwide
evangelization, was presented as a viable model for evangelicals to
consider; and many statements were made during the conference which clearly
indicated that the majority of evangelicals are, indeed, favorable to
working with Roman Catholics more and more in the days to come.
"The Holy Spirit will not be locked into any one form of religious
faith...Global interdependence requires a global ecumenical awakening so
that the power and blessing of healing and compassion that all faiths can
teach their people might ignite all peoples of the world in which we live.
The ecumenical movement--understood as the energizing of all faiths of this
planet by celebration, by interaction for justice and compassion, by dialog
and mutual study of one another's faith--holds out for then human race one
of the last great hopes for redemption." (Quoted from MANIFESTO FOR A
GLOBAL CIVILIZATION by Matthew Fox, R.C. theologian.)
"55...inter-religious dialogue is a part of the Church's evangelizing
mission...56. Through dialogue, the Church seeks to uncover the `seeds of
the Word', a `ray of truth which enlightens all men;' these are found in
individuals and in all the religious traditions of mankind." (from
REDEMPTORIS MISSIO, John Paul II, 1/22/91.)
"In many parts of the world the decline of the ecumenical movement has
been replaced by a new sort of ecumenism, the sharing of those who have
discovered fresh life in the Holy Spirit - a sharing which goes right
across denominational and cultural norms, and touches the place where dogma
can't reach...Pope Paul VI affirmed, `The Church needs an eternal
Pentecost,' and it is significant that it is the Roman Catholic Church, in
some ways the most structured and traditional of all churches, that this
renewal movement has broken out most strongly and has been most
influential." (From I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT by Michael Green, Plenary
Speaker at Vision 2000 National Leadership Consultation.)
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