Dear friends,

During the ICCRS Colloquium June 2006 International Leaders of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal met by language groups to share their experiences. The following is the results of those dialogues.

The first discussion point was about the essential aspects of CCR. The main things highlighted were:

a) Introducing Catholics to and highlighting the importance of Baptism in the Spirit.

b) Encouraging use of the Charisms

c) Helping people to come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

d) The need for evangelisation

e) The need to grow in personal holiness

a) The necessity of evangelisation

b) The importance of leadership formation and raising up new leaders

c) The importance of unity

d) Service to the poor

e) Be open to the new things of the Spirit

f) Return to your first love and light the fire again

The third discussion point was about the main difficulties that leaders experience in CCR. The area which most people highlighted was a lack of understanding and/or acceptance by priests and the hierarchy regarding the CCR. The groups also highlighted the difficulty of building unity both within and among groups and realities. They also noted the lack of prayerful and visionary leaders and personal difficulties within leadership of fear, sin, human weakness, pride and lack of boldness.

On the Saturday evening June 10th the leaders had a time of prayer in silence before the Blessed Sacrament. From this we sensed the Lord saying “keep the fire of Pentecost burning, have joy in the presence of the Lord, deepen your spiritual life and go forward in faith, evangelise, be a witness and serve the poor, love one another, build and protect unity and be open to the surprises of the Holy Spirit”.

The groups also made some helpful comments regarding CCR in general and there were some particular suggestions made to ICCRS that we will reflect upon and consider.

At the ICCRS Council Meeting following the Leaders Colloquium we were only in a position to begin to reflect upon the group reports. We now propose to compile a short report that we will deliver to Archbishop Rylko at the Pontifical Council of the Laity. We will also produce a short statement to send to the Holy Father.

In His love

ICCRS Council