Renewal Message from popes

Popes and the Charismatic Renewal

See also:
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Rediscovering the Charismatic Dimension: Ralph Martin, www.renewalministries.net

The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions the charisms in light of Biblical, Conciliar and Papal teaching.

“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.” (CCC 799)

“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.” (CCC 800)

Paul VI

In the first historic meeting of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal with the institutional Church in St. Peter's in 1975, having finished reading the written speech, Paul VI quoted the verses of a hymn of St. Ambrose ‘let us drink with joy the sober abundance of the Spirit’ (Laeti bibamus sobriam profusionem Spiritus), and said that this could become the motto of the Charismatic Renewal.

"How then could this "spiritual renewal" not be "a chance" for the church and for the world? And how, in this case, could one not take all the means to ensure that it remains so? [...] Nothing is more necessary for such a world, more and more secularized, than the testimony of this "spiritual renewal", which we see the Holy Spirit bring about today in the most diverse regions and environments. Its manifestations are varied: deep communion of souls, close contact with God in faithfulness to the commitments undertaken at Baptism, in prayer that is often community prayer, in which each one, expressing himself freely, helps, supports and nourishes the prayer of others, and, at the basis of everything, a personal conviction. This conviction has its source not only in instruction received by faith but also in a certain experience of real life, namely, that without God, man can do nothing, that with him, on the contrary, everything becomes possible."

ADDRESS OF POPE PAUL VI TO THE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL ON OCCASION OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL LEADERS’ CONFERENCE, ROME, 19 MAY 1975

John Paul II

The present-day church seems to repeat with greater fervor and holy insistence "come Holy Spirit! Come! Come! Heal our wounds, our strength renew..." Encyclical The Redeemer of Man.

"I am convinced that this movement is a sign of His action (of the Spirit). The world is much in need of this action of the Holy Spirit, and it needs many instruments for this action." -Private Audience with ICCRO council, Rme, DECEMBER 11, 1979

"The first dimension of renewal consists, therefore, in this: "to live according the Spirit", in this continual growing in the Spirit, resisting the gratifications of the "flesh", opening oneself to the strong, sweet attraction of God. This inner renewal, this healing of the very roots of life and this formation of a mentality dominated by the "promptings of the Spirit" is your vocation as Christians, your vocation as men and women, youths and adults of our time who want to give witness, who want that model to flourish in the world of today, the model of spirituality and even of courtesy…" -Address to the participants in the National Congress of the Italian "Renewal in the Spirit", Rome, November 15, 1986

"[...] I ask you, and all the members of the Charismatic Renewal, to continue to cry aloud to the world with me: "Open the doors to the Redeemer" [...] The church’s mission is to proclaim Christ to the world. You share effectively in this mission insofar as your groups and communities are rooted in the local churches, in your dioceses and parishes." -Address at the V International Leader's Conference, Rome, April 30, 1984

"[...] But there is yet another positive chance today: that of the group of prayer which have multiplied in the Catholic Church as in other ecclesial communities, spontaneously, in an unforeseen fashion. [...] a grace which has come precisely to sanctify the Church and to renew in her the taste for prayer through the rediscovery, with the Holy Spirit, of the sense of gratuitousness, of joyful praise, of confidence in intercession; and this becomes a new source of evangelisation." -AUDIENCE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II WITH THE BISHOPS OF NOTHERN FRANCE, 22 JANUARY 1987

"... The Charismatic Renewal is an eloquent manifestation of this vitality today, a bold statement of what "the Spirit is saying to the churches" (Rev. 2:7)" -ADDRESS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II AT THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL LEADERS’ CONFERENCE, ROME, 15 MAY 1987

"The Holy Spirit is at work in groups such as yours, drawing you to prayer and filling you with joy in adoring and praising the Lord. As I wrote for the whole Church in my Encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem: "Recent years have been seeing a growth in the number of people who, in ever more widespread movements and groups, are giving first place to prayer and seeking in prayer a renewal of their spiritual life". In the same Spirit who send you forth to bear witness. How can anyone who has tasted the goodness of Christ remain silent and inactive? How can one lock away the good that has been so fully received?" -ADDRESS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE CATHOLIC FRATERNITY OF CHARISMATIC COVENANT COMMUNITIES AND FELLOWSHIPS, ROME, 7 DECEMBER 1991

"The Catholic charismatic movement is one of the many fruits of the Second Vatican Council, which, like a new Pentecost, led to an extraordinary flourishing in the Church’s life of groups and movements particularly sensitive to the action of the Spirit. How can we not give thanks for the precious spiritual fruits that the Renewal has produced in the life of the Church and in the lives of so many people? How many lay faithful—men, women, young people, adults and elderly—have been able to experience in their own lives the amazing power of the Spirit and his gifts! How many people have rediscovered faith, the joy of prayer, the power and beauty of the Word of God, translating all this into generous service in the Church’s mission! How many lives have been profoundly changed! For all this today, together with you, I wish to praise and thank the Holy Spirit." -AUDIENCE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II WITH THE NATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE OF THE ITALIAN "RENEWAL IN THE SPIRIT", ROME, 4 APRIL 1998

Pope John Paul II stated that one of the most significant contributions of the Second Vatican Council was the “rediscovery” of the “charismatic dimension” of the Church.

Vigil of Pentecost, May 30, 1998

Whenever the Spirit intervenes, he leaves people astonished. He brings about events of amazing newness; he radically changes persons and history. This was the unforgettable experience of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council during which, under the guidance of the same Spirit, the Church rediscovered the charismatic dimension as one of her constitutive elements: "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. Allotting his gifts according as he wills (cf. 1 Cor 12:11), he also distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank.... He makes them fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church" (Lumen gentium, n.12).

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.

Benedict XVI convened a similar gathering of the movements in the Church in 2006 and reaffirmed the teaching of John Paul II, quoting his remarks on this occasion.

John Paul II and Benedict XVI, cited the Vatican II document (Lumen gentium 12) as the basis for this teaching.

"Certainly, your own charism leads you to direct your life towards a special "intimacy" with the Holy Spirit. And a survey of the thirty years of the history of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal shows that you have helped many people to rediscover the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, in the life of the Church and in the life of the world. [...] From the very beginning of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, I have considered the movements as a great spiritual resource for the Church and for humanity, a gift of the Holy Spirit for our time, a sign of hope for all people." -ADDRESS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO PARTICIPANT AT THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE CFCCCF, ROME, 1 JUNE 1998

"There is no holiness without prayer. In fact, as we see in the lives of the Saints, Christians are worth as much as they pray. [...] This commits that the groups and communities of the Renewal be ever more places of contemplation and praise, where the heart of man is filled with the love of God, opens up to the love towards his brother and becomes capable of building history according to God’s design. It is in the Church—home and school of communion—that we which must oppose the culture of hatred and revenge, may the groups and Communities of the Renewal (RnS) be significant places and models of brotherhood and love, of patience and reciprocal welcoming. May the experience of forgiveness and the value given to every spiritual gift help everyone to build a fellowship nourished by the breath of the Spirit of the Risen Lord." -ADDRESS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE ITALIAN "RENEWAL IN THE SPIRIT", RIMINI, 28 APRIL 2001

"The Church and the world need saints! And all the baptized without exception are called to be saints! [...] Let your communities, therefore, be more and more "genuine schools of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly "falls in love". For this is what the saints are: people who have fallen in love with Christ. And this is why the Charismatic Renewal has been such a gift to the Church: it has led a host of men and women, young and old, into this experience of the love which is stronger than death." -MESSAGE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO PARTICIPANTS TO THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF THE CFCCCF, ROME, 22 JUNE 2001

"Yes! The Renewal in the Spirit can be considered a special gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church in our time. Born in the Church and for the Church, your movement is one in which, following the light of the Gospel, the members experience the living encounter with Jesus, fidelity to God in personal and community prayer, confident listening to his Word and a vital rediscovery of the Sacraments, not to mention courage in trials and hope in hardship. Love for the Church and submission to her Magisterium, in the process of maturing in the Church supported by a solid permanent formation are relevant signs of your intention to avoid the risk of favouring, unwittingly, a purely emotional experience of the divine, an excessive pursuit of the "extraordinary" and a private withdrawal that may shrink from apostolic outreach." -ADDRESS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE ITALIAN "RENEWAL IN THE SPIRIT", RIMINI, 14 MARCH 2002

Benedict XVI

Cardinal Ratzinger
What is the relationship between personal experience and the common faith of the Church? Both factors are important: the dogmatic faith, unsupported by personal experience, remains empty; experience alone, without regard to the faith of the Church remains blind. -Cardinal Ratzinger saint-mike.org

Pope Francis

The Holy Spirit Is Not Subdued -Pope Francis
Prayer of Praise and Joy -Pope Francis

Rediscovering the Charismatic Dimension:
Recent Magisterial Teaching
Ralph Martin, www.renewalministries.net

Pope John Paul II stated that one of the most significant contributions of the Second Vatican Council was the “rediscovery” of the “charismatic dimension” of the Church. During the feast of Pentecost, in 1998, the Pope asked representatives of all the renewal movements of the Church to join with him to celebrate this feast. Over 500,000 people from more than 50 different movements came. What the Pope did was to gather together the teaching of Scripture and Vatican II, on the charismatic gifts of the Spirit and proclaim them with urgency and passion.

He said: “The Church’s self awareness (is) based on the certainty that Jesus Christ is alive, is working in the present and changes life… With the Second Vatican Council, the Comforter recently gave the Church...a renewed Pentecost, instilling a new and unforeseen dynamism".

With these words Pope John Paul II honestly acknowledged what many theologians, Scripture scholars and Church historians had demonstrated in their studies, that the charismatic workings of the Holy Spirit are an essential and complementary reality to the working of the Spirit in the sacramental and hierarchical dimensions of the Church’s existence. The Pope also honestly acknowledged that the charismatic dimension, important as it was, was nevertheless in a way forgotten, or overshadowed by perhaps a too exclusive emphasis on the sacramental and hierarchical, and it required a special action of the Holy Spirit in the Second Vatican Council to bring the Church back to an awareness of the importance of this “constitutive” dimension.

The Pope in his speech went on to make this explicit: “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…You present here, are the tangible proof of this ‘outpouring’ of the Spirit.”

Benedict XVI in one of the first initiatives of his pontificate convened a similar gathering of the movements in the Church in 2006 and reaffirmed the teaching of John Paul II, quoting his remarks on this occasion.

John Paul II, as does Benedict XVI, cites the foundational document of Vatican II, the Constitution on the Church, 12 (Lumen gentium) as the basis for this teaching. The background to this particular text is of significance. There was a debate among the Council fathers about whether the Church still needed the “charismatic dimension” and in particular, the charismatic gifts today, or whether they were intended just for the early Church to help her get established.

Some argued that these workings of the Spirit were needed to help get the Church going but now that we had sacraments and hierarchy they were no longer necessary. This argument did not carry the day, as there is no basis in Scripture for believing that this important dimension is only needed for a while. In fact the Scripture witnesses to just the opposite; the charismatic gifts are an important accompaniment to the preaching of the gospel and the health of the internal life of the Church.

The Council fathers voted overwhelmingly to affirm this truth and accept the text that John Paul II cites. This Conciliar affirmation of the importance of the charismatic dimension was a way of affirming a dynamic vision of lay participation in the life of the Church and is closely linked to the important affirmations of the “universal call to holiness” and the “universal call to mission.”

Biblical Foundations

While John Paul II quoted the Council text as a basis for his teaching, the Council text itself cites the Bible as the foundation of its teaching in 1 Cor. 12:11:

“But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.” The “all of these” that this text references are mentioned in the previous verses:

“Now in regard to spiritual gifts (charisms), brothers, I do not want you to be unaware...To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues.” (1 Cor. 12:1, 7–10)

But this isn’t the only list of charisms that we find in the New Testament. There are also lists in, 1 Peter 4, Ephesians 4, and Romans 12. “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.” (Rom 12:4–13)

In this text, as in the 1 Cor. 12 text the context for the explanation of the charisms is in understanding the Church as a “body” with different members, all playing different roles, all essential for the overall well being of the body. Sometimes the statement is made that Paul clearly says that love is more important than the charisms, and that is certainly true.

The beautiful hymn to love in 1 Cor. 13 is sandwiched between two chapters that contain important teaching on the charisms. But Paul is not presenting a “cafeteria approach to Christianity.” He isn’t pitting charisms and charity against each other. As a matter of fact, he sees the acceptance and exercise of spiritual gifts as, precisely, an important way of loving. He summarizes his teaching like this: “Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Cor. 14:1) It’s not a matter of either or, but both and. Love is certainly primary—more important than charisms if you will—but the charisms are given by the Spirit to help us to love and serve in specific ways that are important for the well being of the Church. Paul’s advice is to “make love our aim” and to eagerly pursue the spiritual gifts.

We see the same harmony between love, holiness and the faithful exercise of charisms in the passage from Romans cited above. Charisms aren’t isolated gifts but are interwoven with the life of love, service, and mission which characterizes the very nature of the Church. This is why John Paul II calls the charismatic dimension and the institutional dimension “co-essential” to the Church’s constitution. It’s not either sacraments and hierarchy or charisms; it’s both.

Both are essential to the healthy function of Church life and when these elements are not in right relationship with each other the Church is weakened.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reflects the Biblical, Conciliar and Papal teaching in its numerous mentions of charisms. “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.” (CCC 799)