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Special issue:
Charismatic
Renewal (by Bp. Bronislaw Dembowski) The XX century, which is just passing, was witness to a large number of people leaving the Church and the faith and also to wars and demoralisation. On the other hand though, a certain rebirth of Christianity is noticeable. As an example we can take the Second Vatican Council, of which Card. Suenens said it was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the bishops, and also the origin of the new movements and communities of the Church, that is to say, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the laity. Two events of the last two years show us more clearly the position of the Church with regard to the new movements and communities. The first is the World Congress of Ecclesiastical Movements held in 1998, which ended on the eve of Pentecost in St.Peter’s Square with the presence of the Holy Father. The second event is the Seminar for reflection and dialogue organised for bishops from 16th to 19th June 1999 by the Pontifical Council for the Laity with the collaboration of the Congregation of Bishops and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The subject for discussion was "The ecclesiastical movements and new communities in the pastoral care of the bishops". About one hundred archbishops and bishops (six cardinals) from forty-eight countries took part. I. There were about 400 participants from 52 movements at the World Congress of the Movements. The Holy Father in his letter addressed to the participants said that the presence of more than fifty movements at the Congress is testimony of the diversity of the charisms, of educational methods and of apostolate. It is the diversity in the unity of faith, hope and charity. All in obedience to Christ and to the pastors of the Church. The presence of the various movements and communities is a hymn to the unity expressed through diversity. All this is in accordance with the will of the Holy Spirit. In the mystery of the body of Christ, unity doesn’t mean uniformity and doesn’t exclude diversity. Bear in mind the importance of these words. Our duty is to create unity in diversity, demonstrating the richness of the gifts of God. John Paul II has written that the charisms approved by the Church are like paths which lead to a more intimate knowledge of Christ, to the complete dedication of oneself to Christ in communion with all Christians. This explanation with regard to the role of the charisms is very important. The Holy Father has written that there should be no contrast between the institutional and charismatic dimensions in the Church and that these two dimensions are co-essential elements of the Church founded by Christ. These two elements contribute to the presence in the world of the mystery of Christ and his work of salvation. Both lead to the self-conscience of the Church, which, in a certain sense, is "movement". For as it is in the Church that the mission of the Son is fulfilled through the action of the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit. On the eve of Pentecost, 30 May 1998, during the meeting in St.Peter’s Square, the Holy Father made a speech about many charisms and movements, but one mission. He said that the movements approved by the ecclesiastical authorities were the manifestation of the self-fulfilment of the Church. At times they have brought doubts and misunderstanding on the part of the movements with reservations on the part of parish priests and bishops. This was the period of testing the faithfulness of the movements, which gave the possibility to evaluate the authenticity of their charisms. Now the movements are starting a new stage: the stage of ecclesial maturity. Not all the problems have been resolved. There are still some difficulties but generally speaking we can say that, in effect, the presence of the movements has been approved and that the Church expects the mature fruits of unity and action from them. John Paul II has stressed that the members of the new movements and communities must learn that faith is neither abstract reasoning nor hazy sentiment, but above all the new life in Christ aroused by the Holy Spirit. The Pentecost which I experienced in Rome in 1998 was a wonderful event full of great joy, from St. Peter’s Square to the Tiber. Before the celebration, Mons. Stanislaw Rylko came to me and told me that the Holy Father had invited me to lunch with him. During the lunch I saw much joy in the eyes of the Holy Father. We spoke a lot about the movements, which are the springtime of the Church just as Paul VI had already called them in 1975. II. There are many movements and for this reason the topic of the Seminar for bishops in 1999 was Unity in diversity. The first to speak was Card. Stafford, Prefect of the Council for the Laity. He stressed the need for dialogue and theological reflection on the movements. Quoting the thoughts of the Holy Father he said that there was no contrast between the institutional and charismatic dimensions of the Church, for its life, its renewal and the sanctification of the people of God. The conclusion which emerges from this theological reflection is that it is not right to set office against charism. The word "office" meaning hierarchy was introduced later in the ecumenical discussion under the influence of Protestantism. At the beginning the term in use was sacramentum ordinis, that is the sacrament of holy orders, meaning the ordination of deacons, priests or bishops. The basis for the firm standing of the Church is precisely the sacrament of holy orders. The vocation to the priesthood is a charism. We cannot therefore organise recruitment of priests but we must pray for vocations. It is the charismatic element in the life of the Church. The institution of the Church exists without doubt. Jesus said: "He who hears you, hears me." (Lk. 10,16), St. Paul wrote to Timothy: "Guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us." ( Tm. 1,14) and St. Peter wrote: "No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own intelligence." ( Pt. 1,20). So the permanent institution of the Church that preserves the faith exists, but it is based on the charism of vocation. This notion was understood and thoroughly studied after Vatican Council II. In the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church Lumen Gentium it is said that charism must be accepted with gratitude. Discernment as to their authenticity, however, rests with the ecclesiastical authority, which is required not to extinguish the Spirit but to examine everything and retain what is good (LG n. 12). The essence of Christianity is the meeting with Jesus Christ that usually takes place in the Christian family. It is here that the child meets God and where proper relationships with Jesus Christ should begin. Unfortunately there are many families who do not consider this to be their duty. At times they transmit a false image of God who punishes when a child is not well behaved. The image of God must provoke joy and hope and not fear of the scourge of God. When the family is without faith, it is most important to create environments where the Christian community adores the Lord and where there is the possibility of a personal meeting with Christ Our Lord and Saviour. We are implanted into the Body of Christ. In the synagogue, Jesus opened the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and read: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…….and he has sent me to preach the good news." (Lk. 4,18) and because of this each one of us can say: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he has sent me to proclaim the Gospel, that is to say, the Good News."
III. Many obligations emerge for us from what we have said. Here are some: 1. There is need to thoroughly study ecclesial maturity in order to better understand that the Church is the institution with the duty to guard the deposit of faith, based on the charism of vocation to the priesthood. 2. Prayer and general reflection on the mature fruits of unity and action are required. Attention to unity within Charismatic Renewal and the communities of prayer is important. Such unity should be created from within the spheres of the parish and the diocese. At this point we must emphasise the importance of Renewal in the life of the parish. It must be remembered that Charismatic Renewal arose also through ecumenical contacts and it is therefore necessary to carefully examine ecumenical activity, in prayer, in order to create unity in diversity without losing one’s identity. 3. The era of traditional religion is ending. The new movements and communities, through their life and prayer, should testify that faith is not something abstract and not even hazy sentiment but above all the new life in Christ aroused by the Holy Spirit. The new movements and fraternities must create environments where personal faith can be born and nurtured. Community prayer has an enormous strength. Take for example the priestly prayer of Our Lord in John 17. Through prayer and a profound Christian atmosphere, the fraternities can contribute to the healing of families so that they become places of faith. They can also serve to arouse vocations. May God sustain Renewal, so that it may carry out its duties within the Church and in the world.
(by Oreste Pesare) This year’s annual ICCRS Council Meeting was held in Rome, from March 14th to 18th. This meeting was particularly special with its aim being that of electing the new ICCRS President and, for this reason, the Council decided to begin the meeting by inviting Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa to give a teaching.This allowed the Councillors to commence this special Meeting with a type of day retreat. Fr. Raniero spoke concerning "What is the Spirit saying to the CCR" (see the Leadership Formation Supplement in this issue of the ICCRS Newsletter). After his teaching there followed a time of sharing. There was also a special visit, made to the Council, by Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. He spoke about "Ecclesial maturity" and its meaning for the CCR today. He expressed how different levels of this "maturity" are made up: identity and self-consciousness, ecclesial formation, permanent formation and missionary maturity. During his talk Bp. Rylko asked ICCRS to live the call it received from the Church more deeply and to put into practice all that is said in its Statutes.
The Rimini and Rome events The Council also received the visit of Salvatore Martinez, National Co-ordinator of the RnS (Rinnovamento nello Spirito). He came to update the Councillors on the organisation of the Rimini event. The Rimini and Rome events were, in fact, amongst the most important topics discussed during the Council Meeting.
Project Fund The Council decided to support some projects from around the world, allocating monies, from its Project Fund: to Tanzania USD 2,000, in support of a Charismatic Renewal leaders training programme; to CONCCLAA (Con- sultation of Catholic Charismatic Leaders in Anglophone Africa) USD 7,150 for its consultative meeting; to the Philippines USD 2,500, to set up a graduate School for Theology and Evangelisation; to Latvia USD 1,000 to support a programme of deliverance and healing.
Financial Situation The ICCRS financial situation is less positive than last year with a larger deficit than the previous year (USD 85,000 for 1999). This problem results from a sharp drop in donations, from countries around the world, to ICCRS. We pray that donations will increase once again, thus allowing ICCRS to continue serving the Catholic Charismatic Renewal worldwide.
Election of the new President The election of the new President was held in a very friendly atmosphere. After votes had been counted Allan Panozza, from Australia, was elected for a three year term. The day after the election Fr. Bob Faricy came to visit the Council and celebrated Mass with them. At the close of the Mass everybody prayed for Allan aswell as for Matteo who has been appointed Vice-President by the Council.
Council member changes The terms of Pierre Louhouamou, Charles Whitehead and Bp. Bronislaw Dembowski ended this year. After discussion the Council decided that Charles should stay for one more year, on the Council, as immediate past President. The Council agreed that Bp. Dembowski should stay until next year whilst investigating a possible replacement. It was decided that Pierre Louhouamou would be substituted and the Council is currently waiting for an answer from a leader in francophone Africa with regards to his replacement. Those finishing their first term were Cathy Brenti, Fr. Rufus and Chiquito Villalba and the Council agreed for them all to continue a second term. A representative for Oceania will be chosen next year to replace Allan. At the end of the work sessions, on the evening of Saturday 18th, the Council organised a farewell dinner to thank Charles Whitehead who, after a long period of nine years, completed his term as President of ICCRS. Much to the surprise of Charles, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, Fr. Bob Faricy and also his wife Sue came to share this pleasant moment. Charles received a Greek Icon as a gift from the Councillors and a letter of greetings from the Holy Father.
(by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa)
I would like to turn our attention to certain shadowy areas that give rise, it seems to me, to concerns about the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, or, if you prefer, to certain dangers that we ought to address.
1. The Charismatic Renewal is for the whole Church There are countries where the Church is strongly polarised. On the one side are those who have come to be variously defined as liberals, progressives, or innovators; on the other side are the traditionalists or conservatives. Everything is judged according to this measure. It is a little like it used to be among us Italians up to a short time ago, when everything was judged on the basis of whether it was Communist or Christian-Democrat. The word "liberal" in the English-speaking world, and especially in the United States, has a meaning that is a little different from the meaning it has elsewhere. It signifies those who are more open to novelty. Among them there are some whose positions are frankly unacceptable and extreme. But there are also those who simply identify with Vatican II, which they would like to see implemented a little more courageously in the matter of pluralism, inter-cultural dialogue and the question of decentralisation. On the opposite side, in reaction to things that are seen as too innovative and secularised, a current has developed that is strongly attached to the theology and practices of the past. Here too there is a whole spectrum, ranging from well-known extremists to people who are perfectly balanced and full of zeal and love for Christ and the Church. Within reasonable limits this kind of tension is not only legitimate but necessary, since no one person, standing alone, can realise by himself, the demands of fidelity and of progress in equal measure. What is the danger as far as we are concerned? That the Charismatic Renewal, which came into being for the renewal of the whole Church, should end up by becoming identified purely and simply with one segment of the Church, the more conservative one. Reading religious publications from various countries, it is clear to me that some of them see the new ecclesial movements, including the Renewal , as conservative forces, if not as downright reactionary. This does serious harm. The Charismatic Renewal is a gift for the whole Church, not for just a particular part of it, and so it must remain. Indeed, in its early days, like every "prophetic" movement, it was seen as a great sign of newness and openness, a forward thrust on various fronts, the ecumenical outreach included. As such, it was welcomed by the Catholic Church hierarchy, and it has no need to change its appearance to make itself acceptable. Cardinal Suenens, who was for years its principal sponsor and ecclesiastical spokesman, was, during and after the Council, one of the most authoritative promoters of the need for "aggiornamento": giving contemporary impact to the practices and beliefs of the Church. And now, it is with infinite sadness that I see that the Charismatic Renewal has ended up confined to one part of the Church only, and regarded by the rest as something so alien that they feel fully justified in keeping well clear of it. Let me say again, the Charismatic Renewal was born to renew the whole Church and not just one part of it. When I say "the whole Church", I mean, naturally, the Church that positions itself firmly in the mainstream of orthodoxy and the magisterium; that is ready, if necessary – on one side or the other - to submit obediently to the appointed authority (the bishop or the pope, as the case may be), but not before having born prophetic witness to the goals that are close to its heart, according to the sound dialectic that has always been the Catholic Church’s strength and the root of its capacity for self-renewal. We need to look squarely at this situation and do what has to be done to prevent it becoming even more widespread, and to correct it where it has become established. This is not a matter of taking this or that stance, but of being faithful to the Spirit who has no fear of differences and who is always able, according to Irenaeus, "to create a beautiful symphony out of many voices", as he did on the day of Pentecost.
2. The Charismatic Renewal is for the "essentials" of the Christian life The second danger is devotionalism. Here too, we need to remember how it all began. The Charismatic Renewal was born with a powerful drive to return to the essentials of the Christian life: the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ, the Word of God, the Sacraments, the charisms, prayer, evangelisation. This is the secret of its explosive power. This characteristic of the Renewal is clearly shown by the fact that it has no recognised founders, nor any particular "spirituality", but that it simply accentuates what should be common and "normal" for every baptised person. This has been my personal experience and, I am sure, it has been the same for many of you. The Bible becomes a living word, breathed by God and breathing God, as St. Ambrose used to say. I remember a definition of the Charismatic Renewal given by someone in those early days, that has always struck me as the most true: "Giving back the power to God!". What convinced us was that we found ourselves clearly in the presence of God’s holy action. God present and active in history! That was the miracle that always filled the biblical prophets with awe and caused them to leap for joy: "Shout for joy, you heavens, for Yahweh has been at work! Shout aloud, you earth below!" (Isaiah 44, 23). "Back to basics", as they say. Let us once again offer to the Church this taste for what is essential. The basic work of the Spirit is his sanctifying activity (see 2 Th 2,13; 1 Pt 1, 2), by which he transforms human beings, giving them a new heart, not the heart of a slave but the heart of a child of God’s family. Next comes his charismatic activity, by which he distributes a variety of gifts for the good of the community. This is what he did at Pentecost: he transformed the apostles, making new men of them, then he had them speak in tongues and prophesy, and he gave them all the gifts they would need for their mission. In the Charismatic Renewal too, we need to respect this hierarchy: personal sanctification must come first, and only then, in second place, the experience of the charisms. The Holy Spirit does not set out merely to clean up the dress of his Bride, the Church. His first aim is above all to renew her heart. Why do I think it necessary to mention all these things? I believe that the words of the letter to the Hebrews are addressed to us too: "Remember the earlier days... Be as confident now..." (Hb 10, 32. 35). The Charismatic Renewal, and Catholicism generally, runs the risk of again becoming overgrown and weighed down, after the Council’s great effort to restore simplicity and essentiality in doctrine and practice. In many things, for example in the devotion to Mary, the Council sought to bring back to Catholic practice a sobriety that was lost in the course of the centuries, especially during the age of the Counter-reformation. Little by little we have seen this fruit of the Council being lost. There has been a return to an excessive insistence on what is optional. The Charismatic Renewal itself has become sucked into this whirlpool, to such an extent that in some places it has become identified merely by association with certain devotions, apparitions, individuals and particular messages. Certain of these things are in themselves quite legitimate, and a sign of the richness of the Catholic Church, but they need to be kept within their proper sphere and not imposed on all and sundry as a measure of the greater or lesser extent of their "catholicity". This is not a question of taking position against any of these things. The point is whether the Charismatic Renewal ought to be characterised by this kind of thing, or by something else. We already have all that we need to become holy and to spread the Gospel. Even in the matter of devotion to Mary, if we were to take seriously and deepen our appreciation of what Scripture and the liturgical and dogmatic tradition of the Church have to offer (for example, the title of "Mother of God"), we would be able to offer her all the honour we desire, without feeling any need to scurry about after the latest message or apparition. In this way, we would render our devotion to Mary more acceptable to other Christians, and we would be hastening the day when, instead of being an object of division, she would become a positive factor in the unity of Christians. (Would not harmony among her children be the thing a mother desires most?) Our task as spiritual guides is to help our brothers and sisters to be open to the great mysteries of the faith and never to shut themselves up in any short-lived devotionalism, which can never serve to re-evangelise the world. To concentrate on essentials does not mean depriving the faithful of all space for free expression, or all personal preference, and reducing everything to a bland sameness. There is certainly room to cultivate one’s personal devotion as well, but this needs to be kept within the ambit of what is personal. We must not confuse what is demanded of everyone with things that are to be left to individual choice.
3. Courage and… let’s get down to work! I would like to end on an encouraging note. There is a perception in some places that the Charismatic Renewal is at a standstill, or shrinking, declining in enthusiasm and numbers. It is true, and it is normal in movements of this kind. They are not made to become institutions, but as the late Cardinal Suenens once said, to transmit an impulse, "a current of grace", and then if necessary to disappear, like an electric charge that is dispersed in a mass of matter. However, one thing remains the same today as in the early days of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. "The arm of the Lord is not shortened!" We see it achieve today, in those who come into contact with it for the first time, exactly the same effects as in the early days. Every time we allow him to act, every time we provide suitable occasions for his coming, where people gather as in the Cenacle with expectant faith, he does come down. I have had opportunity to see it again very recently. Every time it is a whole new world that opens up before the person who receives him. Visible signs of the coming of the Spirit are generally the rebirth of courage, of hope and of joy. Even in the opinion of the public at large, the Charismatic Renewal is seen as a movement of joyful people, who clap or raise their hands, who seem transformed, with smiling, almost ecstatic faces. This is not a wrong perception. Joy is in fact one of the signs or fruits of the Spirit. I hope we will all cultivate the signs: courage, hope, joy; and avoid the dangers I have tried to bring to your attention (if my tone has been somewhat high-handed, please forgive me). May the Holy Spirit help us to carry with us the flame of Pentecost, undimmed, into the new millennium, so that it may continue to transform the lives of many men and women of our time, and bring them all to Christ. Reflections on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, presented at the Gathering of Priests promoted by the Italian National Service team for Renewal in the Spirit (Rome, 28 September 1999)
Great Gathering of the Catholic Charismatic Family Rome Jubilee 2000 Pilgrimage (The staff of ICCRS)
A grace for the Holy Year Finally the time had arrived to unite as one family from all over the world to celebrate the Great Gathering of the Catholic Charismatic Family in Rimini. After months of preparation and planning for this special event, organised by RnS and ICCRS and accommodating approximately 32,000 people, we can all rejoice and thank God that it was all worth it. Although, at times, the going was tough for both organisers and delegates, challenged by many difficulties, we can all confidently say, yes LORD, it was all worth it! We are One Body, One Spirit, One Faith, One Vocation. Alleluia because God is a Faithful God and He helped us all in reaching our potential to understand that He is the only Resurrected Christ. As people began arriving you could hear the echoing of their rejoicing and praising of God. The atmosphere in the Fiera was filled with people singing and rejoicing that Christ has resurrected. Alleluia! On the first day of the conference, 28 April, you could feel the Lord’s presence even though many people were very tired after long journeys, some of which lasting four days, so that they could participate in this Great Gathering. Mass was presided by Card. James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, who read the message that the Holy Father himself wrote to all the participants at Rimini. Ralph Martin, Fr. Jacques Philippe, leader of the Beautitudes Community and Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa gave the main teachings. It was evident that Christ was amongst us and that much healing took place. Fr. Rufus Pereira, a member of the ICCRS Council, led a moment of healing at the end of one of the Masses, celebrated in the large "Fiera", and many witnessed God’s healing power. There was also the Ecumenical Celebration coordinated by Matteo Calisi, with Bishop Mar Bawai Soro, from the Assyrian Church, Bishop Graham Dow, from the Anglican Church, Bishop Giuseppe Chiaretti, from the Catholic Church, Rev. Peter Dippl, Co-president ECC, Rev. Gaetano Sottile, secretary of the Worldwide Evangelical Alliance. The Pope himself wrote in his message: "I am especially pleased to know that representatives from other Churches and ecclesial Communities are participating in your meeting and I wish to warmly greet them". The Conference ended with the Eucharistic Celebration presided by His Excellency Mons. Onesimo Cepeda Silva (Bishop of Ecatepec, Mexico), who also led the assembly into a time of powerful healing. Finally, the event that every- one was waiting for, the Rome Jubilee 2000 Pilgrimage. The Pilgrimage began on the afternoon of 1 May in Rimini, and 750 people, of the 1,800 ICCRS delegates coming from some 70 countries that attended the Rimini event, lived in unity this event organised by ICCRS. It was a joy, once again, to come together with brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the world in order to experience God’s love. Allan Panozza, President of ICCRS greeted and introduced pilgrims from all over the world, Australia, Nigeria, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil, Francia and Canada, just to name a few countries. Oreste Pesare, Director of ICCRS, set the scene for the pilgrimage when he highlighted to the pilgrims the importance of living a pilgrimage as a sacred time and not just a holiday. On the first day of the pilgrimage we visited the sites of Saint Francis in Assisi. In the afternoon, Fr. Bob Faricy celebrated the Eucharist at the Porziuncola Basilica. During his homily, he gave a strong message about the charism of speaking in tongues and this prompted some people, who had been having difficulties with this for some time, to begin singing in tongues. Many prophetic messages were given and healings took place. We all felt as convoked by the Lord Himself who was calling us for a special mission in the Church, promising a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. "You are the new prophetic word for the Church of today". There was also a special blessing for the African people, the promise that if they would pray in faith, the Lord would accomplish a project of peace for the whole continent. The day after, was spent in Rome where, in the morning, we participated in the General Audience with the Holy Father. He greeted, in a special way, "the 750 participants to the Pilgrimage organised by ICCRS!". In the afternoon Mass was celebrated by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa in the Major Basilica of St. John Lateran. It was a real prophetic time for all the Renewal (see his homily published in this special issue). The last day was the "high point" of our Jubilee Pilgrimage! "You enter in this way into the heart of the Great Jubilee", Bp. Rylko said, introducing the Eucharistic Celebration in St. Peter Basilica. Nearly thirty priests were standing around the altar just under the "Glory" of the famous Italian artist Bernini. A "heartfelt welcome" on behalf of the Pontifical Council for the Laity was given from Bp. Rylko to all participants and especially to Allan Panozza. "I wish to congratulate you for this most welcoming initiative", said the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. "After the extraordinary experience you just lived in your Rimini Congress, in this solemn Eucharistic Celebration here in St. Peter’s Basilica, your Jubilee Pilgrimage reaches its high point". "Whoever encounters Christ cannot help but announce him to others", said Bp. Rylko in his homily. "On the threshold of the third millennium Christians are facing a great challenge: evangelization… The world needs many authentic and coherent witnesses... Announcing Christ means to be ready to go against the current". That was the prayer at the end of the homily: that Christ could give us, according to his promises, his Spirit without measure. "Let’s hope - concluded Bp. Rylko - that thanks to the Jubilee celebration, the Holy Spirit pours abundantly into our hearts a renewed missionary zeal, molding us into authentic witnesses of Christ in the world". The Pilgrimage ended with the visit to the Catacombs of St. Callisto, a place well known to Charismatics for the Mass that was celebrated there in 1975 after the memorable meeting with Paul VI who addressed the Charismatic Renewal as a "chance for the Church and for the world". While they were led through the alleys, the pilgrims had the opportunity to reflect, during this Great Jubilee, on their Christian roots and on their call to be witnesses to the world proclaiming that the Lord is the same yesterday, now and forever!
Message of the Holy Father
During the Great Gathering of the Catholic Charismatic Family, held at Rimini from April 28th to May 1st 2000, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, read the message that the Holy Father wrote to all participants at the meeting. Here follows the English version of the message.
Very dear Brothers and Sisters! 1. With great joy I greet you on the occasion of the "Great Gathering of the Catholic Charismatic Family", which is being held in Rimini. It has been several years now that "Renewal in the Spirit" has been celebrating its "National Meeting" at the beginning of May. On the occasion of the Jubilee Year, this appointment has taken on a special dimension for the presence of so many groups and charismatic communities coming from different countries in the world. Therefore, rightly so, your meeting is taking place under the patronage of an organisation, the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS), whose task is to coordinate and promote exchange of experiences and reflections among Catholic Charismatic Communities throughout the world. Thanks to this, the wealth present in each community is for the benefit of everybody and all the communities can more easily perceive the bond of communion which binds them to each other and to the whole Church. I warmly greet the President of ICCRS, Mr. Allan Panozza, and the National Coordinator of the "Renewal in the Holy Spirit", Mr. Salvatore Martinez, together with all members of the National Service Committee. 2. This international meeting in Rimini is for you a stage of the Jubilee pilgrimage. By celebrating the two thousand years of the Incarnation, we are all called to turn and look towards Christ, "Light of people". By looking at Him, amazement and gratitude are renewed in us: the Son of God became man, He died for our salvation, He rose and lives. Christ lives! He is the Lord! This is the certainty of our faith. Whilst we proclaim this with humility and firmness, we are aware of the fact that this certainty is not from us. If we were able to know Christ, it is because he Himself made Himself known to us by giving His Spirit: "Nobody is able to say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3) By making Himself known, Christ has not left us alone. The new people of God are born in the Spirit, because "it was God’s wish to sanctify and save mankind not individually and without any link among themselves, but He wanted to form them into a people who would recognise Him in truth and serve Him in holiness (Const.dogm.Lumen gentium,9). Every authentic ecclesial community is part of these people who for two thousand years have been journeying throughout the world. Although belonging to a specific community, every baptised person is, however, open to receiving the wealth of the universal Church, which is the Church of all centuries. 3. The Church considers with gratitude the flourishing of living communities, where faith is transmitted and experienced. In this flourishing, it recognises the work of the Holy Spirit, who never fails to give the Church those necessary graces to tackle new situations which are sometimes difficult. Many of you will recall the big meeting which was held in Rome on 30th May 1998 on the eve of Pentecost. On that occasion I said "In our world, which is often dominated by a secularized culture which foments and claims models of life without God, the faith of many is put to a hard test, and is often suffocated and dies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strongly announce as well as have a solid and deep Christian formation. How much need there is today for mature Christian figure-heads, who are aware of their own baptisimal identity, of their own vocation and mission in the Church and in the world! How much need there is for living Christian communities! And then, here are the movements and new ecclesial communities: they are the answer, aroused by the Holy Spirit, to this dramatic challenge at the end of the millnnium" (In: "Osservatore Romano", 1-2 June 1998, pages 6-7) On that occasion I noticed that there was now a new stage also for the movements, "the one of ecclesial maturity" (ibid). Also charismatic communities are called today to make this step and I am certain that, for ecclesial awareness to mature in the different charismatic communities throughout the world, ICCRS can have an important role. What I said at that time in St. Peter’s Square, I repeat to all of you here in Rimini: "The Church expects from you "mature" fruit in communion and commitment" (ibid). 4. Within your communities, in different circumstances, a journey has begun for each one of you. This leads to an awareness and greater and greater love for Christ. Do not interrupt the journey undertaken! Trust: Christ will complete the work which He Himself began. "Set your mind on the higher gifts!" (1 Co.12:31). Always seek Christ: seek Him when meditating the Word of God, seek Him in the sacraments, seek Him in prayer, seek Him in witnessing by our brothers and sisters. Be grateful to the priests who accompany as pastors your communities: through their ministry it is the Church who guides you and assists you as mother and teacher. Accept with joy the occasions which are offered to you to study further in depth your Christian formation. Serve Christ in the people who are close to you, serve Him in the poor, serve Him in need and in the needs of the Church. Let yourselves be truly guided by the Spirit! Love the Church: one holy catholic and apostolic! I am especially pleased to know that representatives from other Churches and ecclesial Communities are participating in your meeting and I wish to warmly greet them. By joining in the common praise, you have accepted my invitation formulated in the Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee: "Let’s all hurry, from the different Churches and ecclesial Communities scattered throughout the world, towards the feast which is being prepared. We are carrying with us what already joins us and our eyes only look up at Christ. This allows us to grow in unity which is the fruit of the Spirit" (Incarnationis mysterium 4). Whilst together with you I pray to the Virgin Mary, so that each one may receive the gift of the Spirit to bear witness to Christ there where he lives. I am glad to bestow upon you, dear Brothers and Sisters, as well as to your families, my affectionate Benediction. Vatican, 24th April 2000 John Paul II
"I Want To Be A Prophet For God!" (By Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa)
On 3rd May 2000, in St. John Lateran, the 750 charismatics participating in the Rome Jubilee 2000 Pilgrimage organised by ICCRS, celebrated a Holy Mass presided by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa. It was a time of praise and worship, but most of all a prophetic time. Fr. Raniero gave a very anointed homily, encouraging all present to be witnesses and prophets for the Lord. Here follows the whole text of the homily by Fr. Raniero.
With these words, proclaimed in the synagogue at Nazareth immediately after his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus inaugurated the first Christian Jubilee in history - a year of favour from the Lord. The Jubilee is rooted in the Holy Spirit. Until 1300, the year Boniface VIII instituted the Jubilee in its present form, Pentecost was considered the annual jubilee of the Church, because it occurred on the fiftieth day, as the jubilee did every fiftieth year (Origen). A medieval hymn for Pentecost says: "Search out the mystery! / And you will see/ that this holy festival / achieves the jubilee" (Adam of St Victor). All the benefits we associate with the idea of jubilee: remission of sin, ransom from slavery, sight for the blind, healing for broken hearts, reconciliation with God - everything, after Easter, is contained in a single name: The Holy Spirit! The true jubilee, the spiritual and interior one that interests God, is the work of the Paraclete. Everything else is subordinate to this and must lead to this. The Jubilee is, first of all, a free gift of God, a "year of favour from the Lord". I remember an incident that happened at the end of the last war, the day the Germans began to retreat from my town. Word spread that the military storehouses were open and anybody could go and help themselves to whatever they wanted. Imagine the reaction of people who had suffered the bleakest hunger and lacked the most essential things! I can still remember the lines of people making their way from the countryside, encouraging one another to keep going, and then the procession home, some carrying food, others blankets or other supplies. This Great Jubilee should see the same thing happen! The storehouses of God’s grace and mercy are open! To everyone the Church repeats the invitation we read in Isaiah:
We in the Charismatic Renewal have experienced what Isaiah describes in these words. We know what it means to "have no money", to be poor, miserable, utterly undeserving, and despite it all, to receive the living water, the new wine, the milk and honey of the Holy Spirit. The organisers have rightly linked this world gathering of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Rome with the one that took place in 1975 and culminated in the meeting with the Pope in St Peter’s. So now is the time to ask ourselves how far we have come since then - it is a time for discernment. Then, our main aspiration was to be recognised and accepted by the institutional Church. Surprisingly, given the circumstances, that recognition came, though only in an oral and unofficial way. Paul VI defined the Renewal as "a chance for the Church". In fact he gave it a motto and a programme, in the well-known words I recalled at Rimini: Laeti bibamus sobriam profusionem Spiritus, let us joyfully drink from the Sprit’s sober abundance. Now, 25 years later, what do we aspire to? What are we searching for? The Charismatic Renewal, meanwhile, has received more than one recognition, formally but also in practice. More and more frequently, the Renewal is entrusted with tasks, things to organise, offices to fill. It is no secret that we are greatly relied upon. The time has come to ask ourselves: What is the service we are called to give to the Church, the reason why the Lord raised up the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church? Here I must open my heart to you as a brother. I fear that all this recognition is making us forget the one thing necessary, without our realising it. Our fidelity to the hierarchy is not in question. All of us love the Church and wish to serve it: on this point there is no discussion. The question is: What service are we called to give to the Church? Is it "the service of tables", as the Acts of the Apostles puts it, or is it "prayer and the ministry of the Word" (Ac 6, 2-4)? Many lay people in the beginning embraced the Renewal happy that at last they could contribute to building up the Church by doing more than just helping the parish priest to run parties and the parish lottery and things like that. The service we are called to give to the Church is a prophetic one. Without it, we would have no more reason to exist. There are countless other things that other people do, and do well. Ours is a humble service, but indispensable. Without prophecy, the Church languishes, its message cannot pierce the heart. What do I mean by prophecy? I mean what Paul meant when he wrote: "But if you were all prophesying when an unbeliever or someone uninitiated came in, he would find himself put to the test by all and judged by all, and the secrets of his heart revealed, and so he would fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is indeed among you" (1Cor 14, 24-25). We all remember the days when, if a charismatic gathering started praying, even the outsiders present - photographers, journalists, TV technicians - even the stones!, were overcome by the sensation of the supernatural. And now? Isn’t it true that our meetings are becoming more and more like any ordinary gathering of the faithful? Just another movement in the Church: is this what we want to be? The hierarchy have every right to insist that we find our place within certain canonically recognisable realities, so that they know who they are dealing with. They have every right to consider us as one among many ecclesial movements. The point is, do we end up thinking of ourselves as just another movement like the rest, a force in the Church, complete in itself, that makes its presence felt in more and more new areas? Past experience in the Church shows that this is the best way of levelling down all religious Orders and making them lose their particular charism, and thereby also lose their initial vigour. Again, what is in question is not our growing in the communion and collaboration with other ecclesial movements. This has been recommended by the pope himself and it is in the nature of charisms to recognise and accept each other as coming from the same Spirit. But we must preserve as long as possible the spirit and novelty of the Renewal, which doesn’t consist in being an ecclesial movement, with a founder, a Rule and a spirituality of its own, rather, in being a current of grace for the renewal of the whole Church. Personally, I am grateful to all those brothers who have worked over the years to establish the relationships of trust and co-operation with the hierarchy whose fruits we see today. This is a precious benefit and no-one disputes it. The question is: what are we now going to do with all this recognition? What use will we make of it? Will we let success go to our heads, and lose sight of God’s purpose in raising up the Renewal? (The danger is there). Or will we use it to become even more a prophetic leaven, a charismatic presence, in the Church? Someone, in the early days, defined the purpose of the Renewal in a single phrase: "To give the power back to God"! It is a definition we need to remember today, more than ever. In 1992 there was at Monterrey, in Mexico, a retreat for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America, attended by 1700 priests and 70 bishops from all over Latin America. During a Mass, after Holy Communion, they prayed for a new anointing of the Spirit. It was a true moment of Pentecost. Bishops and priests kneeling down, being prayed over and asking lay people present to pray for them. In the homily I had stressed the need the Church has for prophets. Now I was sitting alone in the presbytery interceding for the assembly. A young priest came straight over to me, knelt down and said: "Bendėgame, Padre: quiero ser profeta de Dios!, "Give me your blessing, Father, I want to be a prophet for God". It gave me a shiver, I could see that he was serious and God really was calling him. I blessed him and he went away in silence. What a splendid way of concluding this Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome: Go home, brothers and sisters, with this same decision in your heart: I want to be a prophet for God.
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