MUCH MORE THAN OPTIONAL EXTRAS
The post-Conciliar period witnessed “an unexpected and explosive flowering of such realities, as never before in the history of the Church”, said Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the CDF, as he presented the document (“Müller tells charismatic groups to ‘obey’”, The Tablet, 18 June). Some organisations were born through particular gifts of the Holy Spirit given to charismatic leaders such as Jean Vanier (l’Arche), Kiko Argüello (the Neocatechumenal Way) and Andrea Riccardi (Community of Sant’Egidio). Others blossomed from Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
In many countries, the Church of the 1940s and 1950s had been neatly structured around the local bishop, clergy and Religious, with lay people involved in diocesan groups like Catholic Action – all under the bishop’s authority. The movements made matters far less straightforward.
High-ranking churchmen, such as Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, watching the explosion of Communion and Liberation in Milan in the 1970s must have asked himself: “Where exactly do they fit into the local Church?”
“In the enthusiasm of founding moments probably these movements were very spontaneous and sometimes appeared not to be linking into the local Church,” says Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick and author of Ecclesial Movements and Communities. “There were tensions.”
At the 1987 Synod on the Laity, the movements were accepted, but it was 11 years later, at Pentecost 1998, that their moment arrived. Pope John Paul II told 300,000 members of more than 50 ecclesial movements in St Peter’s Square that the institutional and charismatic aspects of the Church were “co-essential”. Now was the stage of “ecclesial maturity”, where movements had to bring forth more mature fruits of communion and commitment. They were the “providential response” of the Holy Spirit to the modern crisis of faith.
Iuvenescit Ecclesia, a summary of much of what has been worked out in recent years, is now proposed to the whole Church. “It’s another step in that ecclesial maturity where the movements are seen as more mainstream in the life of the Church,” says Bishop Leahy.
The Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, compiled in 2005 by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, lists 122 movements, groups and lay associations. Every year new ones are added, most recently the Indian “Jesus Youth” last month.
Iuvenescit Ecclesia explains how charismatic gifts are discerned. The discernment, which is not an easy task and takes time, belongs to Church authorities – 20 years in the case of Focolare. Not surprising then, that among the criteria for discerning the charismatic gifts is “acceptance of moments of trial in the discernment of charisms”.
Other criteria include the primacy of the vocation to holiness, commitment to spreading the Gospel, profession of the Catholic faith, unity with the Pope and bishops, a commitment to the social dimension of evangelisation and esteem for other charismatic elements in the Church.
Movements have been accused in the past of almost being parallel churches. Iuvenescit Ecclesia calls for integration of movements within the pastoral life of the Church, asking them to recognise the authority of their pastors and “place themselves at the service of the ecclesial mission”. For their part, pastors “must cordially receive that which the Spirit inspires within the ecclesial communion”. But they are also warned to respect the singularity of particular groups “avoiding juridical straitjackets”– reiterating what the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in 1998: “Better less organisation and more spirit!”
The use of the word “co-essential” is key, says Bishop Leahy, “because if you don’t see them as co-essential, then charisms and movements are almost seen as optional extras in the life of the Church. All of us have to be careful not to live a reduced version of church.”
What this document cannot do is express how extraordinarily varied are the charisms of the ecclesial movements and communities. Writing a series of articles (which became a book) I visited 22 groups, met their members and saw their apostolates in action. The experience was overwhelmingly faith-affirming. Most of the people I met were the backbone of their local churches.
Each group has its own beauty and struggle. Some movements have developed structures that can absorb a lot of their energy. Francis’ challenge to “go out” is finding a strong echo with them. Some suffer to see their numbers diminish while others are growing year by year. Often their contribution is overlooked or remains unacknowledged. But one thing they all have in common is the joy of the Gospel, witnessing to the fact that the Church does not grow, as the CDF document says, by proselytism but “by attraction”.
Susan Gateley is a journalist based in Ireland. Her book, God’s Surprise: the new movements in the Church, is published by Veritas.
In many countries, the Church of the 1940s and 1950s had been neatly structured around the local bishop, clergy and Religious, with lay people involved in diocesan groups like Catholic Action – all under the bishop’s authority. The movements made matters far less straightforward.
High-ranking churchmen, such as Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, watching the explosion of Communion and Liberation in Milan in the 1970s must have asked himself: “Where exactly do they fit into the local Church?”
“In the enthusiasm of founding moments probably these movements were very spontaneous and sometimes appeared not to be linking into the local Church,” says Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick and author of Ecclesial Movements and Communities. “There were tensions.”
At the 1987 Synod on the Laity, the movements were accepted, but it was 11 years later, at Pentecost 1998, that their moment arrived. Pope John Paul II told 300,000 members of more than 50 ecclesial movements in St Peter’s Square that the institutional and charismatic aspects of the Church were “co-essential”. Now was the stage of “ecclesial maturity”, where movements had to bring forth more mature fruits of communion and commitment. They were the “providential response” of the Holy Spirit to the modern crisis of faith.
Iuvenescit Ecclesia, a summary of much of what has been worked out in recent years, is now proposed to the whole Church. “It’s another step in that ecclesial maturity where the movements are seen as more mainstream in the life of the Church,” says Bishop Leahy.
The Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, compiled in 2005 by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, lists 122 movements, groups and lay associations. Every year new ones are added, most recently the Indian “Jesus Youth” last month.
Iuvenescit Ecclesia explains how charismatic gifts are discerned. The discernment, which is not an easy task and takes time, belongs to Church authorities – 20 years in the case of Focolare. Not surprising then, that among the criteria for discerning the charismatic gifts is “acceptance of moments of trial in the discernment of charisms”.
Other criteria include the primacy of the vocation to holiness, commitment to spreading the Gospel, profession of the Catholic faith, unity with the Pope and bishops, a commitment to the social dimension of evangelisation and esteem for other charismatic elements in the Church.
Movements have been accused in the past of almost being parallel churches. Iuvenescit Ecclesia calls for integration of movements within the pastoral life of the Church, asking them to recognise the authority of their pastors and “place themselves at the service of the ecclesial mission”. For their part, pastors “must cordially receive that which the Spirit inspires within the ecclesial communion”. But they are also warned to respect the singularity of particular groups “avoiding juridical straitjackets”– reiterating what the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in 1998: “Better less organisation and more spirit!”
The use of the word “co-essential” is key, says Bishop Leahy, “because if you don’t see them as co-essential, then charisms and movements are almost seen as optional extras in the life of the Church. All of us have to be careful not to live a reduced version of church.”
What this document cannot do is express how extraordinarily varied are the charisms of the ecclesial movements and communities. Writing a series of articles (which became a book) I visited 22 groups, met their members and saw their apostolates in action. The experience was overwhelmingly faith-affirming. Most of the people I met were the backbone of their local churches.
Each group has its own beauty and struggle. Some movements have developed structures that can absorb a lot of their energy. Francis’ challenge to “go out” is finding a strong echo with them. Some suffer to see their numbers diminish while others are growing year by year. Often their contribution is overlooked or remains unacknowledged. But one thing they all have in common is the joy of the Gospel, witnessing to the fact that the Church does not grow, as the CDF document says, by proselytism but “by attraction”.
Susan Gateley is a journalist based in Ireland. Her book, God’s Surprise: the new movements in the Church, is published by Veritas.
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