No grass-roots movement in the Church has ever travelled as fast or as far as this one, but it is was and it remains unlike any other movement in the Church, for there is no inspired human founder, no universal program of initiation or formation. It is simply, powerfully, and uniquely a sovereign work of God through his Holy Spirit which touches the lives of men and women in many different settings and circumstances, bringing new faith and setting them on fire with a love and zeal to serve him and his people. In the words of Cardinal Suenens:
What this says to me is that the Charismatic Renewal is a channel of grace to individual men and women. Our calling is to promote a personal openness to this grace, a lively renewal of individual faith, a more radical commitment to the Church and her mission. When people ask me about the view of the Charismatic Renewal on this or that question, I reply that there really is no such thing as the Charismatic Renewals view on anything. The ICCRS Council may have a view, the local NSC may have a view, I may have a viewbut it will always be a matter of individuals and groups holding these views. Charismatics will have a variety of ideas and emphases, but our basic views should always be in accord with those which are defined by the Church and held by committed Catholics.
In an early ICCRO document, it was clearly stated that the aims of the Charismatic Renewal are one and the same as the objectives of the Church -- the conversion, sanctifications, and salvation of every single human being. Its distinctive characteristic is an understanding that the role of the Holy Spirit in this work has not changed since the day of Pentecost, and that we can experience his outpouring, his power, and his gifts in the very same way they were experienced and recognized by the early Christians. The proof of the authenticity of all this depends primarily on a study of its effects on peoples lives, for its aim is not to provide religious experiences, but to help people live a renewed and effective Christian life, serving the mission of the Church. While emphasizing the essential role of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal remains Christ-centered, clearly proclaiming Jesus as Saviour and Lord of all, and teaching that to know him as man's only path to true fulfillment and peace. This new life in Christ is then to be lived out in the community of the Church, and to be carried forth into the world.
In all of this, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal owes much to the inspiration, example, and encouragement of Christians in many Protestant and Pentecostal churches, who had already experienced the same grace in their own settings. While the context, the outworking and the responsibilities are clearly different for Catholics; the graces received seem to be the same. In 1972, Kevin Ranaghan wrote:
So the ecumenical beginnings must never be disregarded, but at the same time it is was to be expected that the Charismatic Renewal would find its own place and identity in the life of the Catholic Church, bringing with it a call to seek a continuing outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a radical conversion to Jesus Christ. Its place at the heart of the Church has been secured, and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal has been warmly welcomed by Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, by the Pontifical Council for Laity, and the Bishops Conferences throughout the world. It has been recognized as a special gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church with a significant role to play in the reevangelization of society.
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